Almost all German states report increase in domestic violence cases
Fifteen out of 16 German states reported increases in domestic violence cases last year, according to new statistics from the Interior Ministry and state crime offices.
The police registered 179,179 victims nationwide last year - an increase of 9.3 percent over the previous year, according to the statistics first published through a report in Welt am Sonntag.
About two-thirds of the reported victims were female. Overall, the real numbers are thought to be much higher due to the number of cases which go unreported.
"In order to be able to take targeted action, valid and reliable data are indispensable,” said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) on Sunday in response to the report. “Unfortunately, we have a very large dark field in this area.”
READ ALSO: Domestic violence on the rise in Germany with one woman killed every three days
The state with the highest increase in reported incidents of domestic violence between 2021 and 2022 was Saarland, at 19.7 percent, or 3,178 total cases. It was followed by the eastern German state of Thuringia (+18.1 percent, or 3,812 cases) and Baden-Württemberg (+13.1 percent, or 14,969 cases).
The only state where the figure dropped was Bremen, which saw 13.6 percent fewer reported cases. Germany’s most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia reported 37,141 victims, or an increase of 8.5 percent.
Partners - including ex-partners - and family members were named as perpetrators.
Reaction in Germany
Family Minister Lisa Paus of the Greens told Welt am Sonntag that feelings of shame and guilt on the part of the victims often lead to offences remaining in the dark and rarely being reported to the police.
Faeser appealed to victims of domestic violence to report the acts more often.
"We must strengthen them to report the acts so that more perpetrators can be held criminally responsible."
"It is a terrible thought that one's own home can become a place of horror. Violence in one's own four walls affects many women, but also children and those in need of care."
Domestic violence doesn’t just include beatings and abuse, but also stalking and psychological terror, she added.
The Interior Ministry is currently preparing a situation report to address the findings, which it will present in Berlin on July 23rd.
What's Germany doing to help victims?
Paus said that she's currently planning a state coordination office to combat domestic violence across all states. Other politicians, such as Hesse's state premiere Boris Rhein (CDU), has called for a nationwide electronic ankle bracelet for domestic violence perpetrators.
READ ALSO: Could domestic abusers in Germany be required to wear a tracking bracelet?
The government is aiming to raise awareness and encourage victims of abuse to seek support. A website has been set up with information for victims as part of a nationwide initiative.
Germany also wants to expand its number of refuge centres for women. Nationwide there are currently about 350 women's shelters.
At the moment, however, centres are overcrowded and there are not enough spaces.
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The police registered 179,179 victims nationwide last year - an increase of 9.3 percent over the previous year, according to the statistics first published through a report in Welt am Sonntag.
About two-thirds of the reported victims were female. Overall, the real numbers are thought to be much higher due to the number of cases which go unreported.
"In order to be able to take targeted action, valid and reliable data are indispensable,” said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) on Sunday in response to the report. “Unfortunately, we have a very large dark field in this area.”
READ ALSO: Domestic violence on the rise in Germany with one woman killed every three days
The state with the highest increase in reported incidents of domestic violence between 2021 and 2022 was Saarland, at 19.7 percent, or 3,178 total cases. It was followed by the eastern German state of Thuringia (+18.1 percent, or 3,812 cases) and Baden-Württemberg (+13.1 percent, or 14,969 cases).
The only state where the figure dropped was Bremen, which saw 13.6 percent fewer reported cases. Germany’s most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia reported 37,141 victims, or an increase of 8.5 percent.
Partners - including ex-partners - and family members were named as perpetrators.
Reaction in Germany
Family Minister Lisa Paus of the Greens told Welt am Sonntag that feelings of shame and guilt on the part of the victims often lead to offences remaining in the dark and rarely being reported to the police.
Faeser appealed to victims of domestic violence to report the acts more often.
"We must strengthen them to report the acts so that more perpetrators can be held criminally responsible."
"It is a terrible thought that one's own home can become a place of horror. Violence in one's own four walls affects many women, but also children and those in need of care."
Domestic violence doesn’t just include beatings and abuse, but also stalking and psychological terror, she added.
The Interior Ministry is currently preparing a situation report to address the findings, which it will present in Berlin on July 23rd.
What's Germany doing to help victims?
Paus said that she's currently planning a state coordination office to combat domestic violence across all states. Other politicians, such as Hesse's state premiere Boris Rhein (CDU), has called for a nationwide electronic ankle bracelet for domestic violence perpetrators.
READ ALSO: Could domestic abusers in Germany be required to wear a tracking bracelet?
The government is aiming to raise awareness and encourage victims of abuse to seek support. A website has been set up with information for victims as part of a nationwide initiative.
Germany also wants to expand its number of refuge centres for women. Nationwide there are currently about 350 women's shelters.
At the moment, however, centres are overcrowded and there are not enough spaces.
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