Are you a victim of intimate partner violence?

• If you are under acute threat, dial 110! The police will do everything necessary to protect you.
• Report the crime to the police. You can file a criminal complaint at any police station.
• A person you trust and/or a legal adviser can accompany you to file a complaint.
• If the police become aware of intimate partner violence (e.g. through calls from neighbors), they will take action ex officio.
• If you cannot yet decide whether to call the police, contact someone you trust or seek advice, but take action!
• Contact a counseling or intervention center for partner violence. The police or the help hotline "Violence against women" 116 016 will put you in touch with your local contact, around the clock and in many languages.
• Note down the details of the incident, such as the date, time and what exactly happened.
• Visit a doctor/hospital/outpatient clinic for victims of violence, state the origin of the injuries and have the injuries certified and, for example, photographed so that they can be documented as evidence for a possible criminal complaint.
• Women's shelters also offer you protection from threats. The staff can advise you on further steps.

The victim stays, the perpetrator has to go!

Victims of intimate partner violence - whether women or men - need protection. Since January 2002, the police have had the option of removing the violent person from the home for a period of ten days.

After an act of violence, the police can remove the perpetrator from the home and ban them from returning for ten days if there is a risk of further violence. The victim will be given documentation of the intervention. This is important if further protection is to be requested from the family court. This is usually necessary in order to break the cycle of violence.

The police will check compliance with the ban on return during the ten-day period unannounced. A violation can be prosecuted with a fine or imprisonment. If the perpetrator attempts to return to the home during the ban on return, the police should be informed in any case.

The ten-day period of the police ban on returning to the home gives victims the opportunity to seek counseling in peace and to get support from a local help facility. With the victim's consent, the local police officers will arrange a contact nearby.

Protection from further violence (protection under civil law)

The Protection against Violence Act significantly strengthens the protection options for victims of intimate partner violence and makes perpetrators more accountable. It enables the family court to prohibit the perpetrator from entering the shared home in the long term. This is an important prerequisite for interrupting an escalation of violence in the family or relationship. In addition, the violent partner can be banned from approaching and from contacting the perpetrator (calls, messages via text message, messenger, email, social networks) as well as other forms of harassment. In addition, the court can order the perpetrator to relinquish the shared home to the person at risk, at least temporarily (generally for six months with the option of extending for a maximum of six further months) - regardless of who is the sole or co-owner or tenant of the home.

How can you apply for civil protection?

You can contact the family court and apply for a protection order by appearing there in person and/or with the assistance of a lawyer. The family court judge can determine that the perpetrator must comply with protection orders, for example:

• to leave the shared home, even for longer periods or permanently,
• to maintain a certain distance from the victim or their children or
• to avoid all contact.

A violation of court protection orders is a criminal offense under Section 4 of the Protection Against Violence Act and is punishable by imprisonment for up to one year or a fine. If the perpetrator violates the protection orders, inform the police immediately! The police will be informed of the protection order by the court and can take further necessary measures to protect you. Please note that the application for civil protection may be subject to costs. You may be entitled to legal aid, contact the court for this.

Help and support for victims

Victims of intimate partner violence often find their situation hopeless. Get professional help to receive support on the way out of the violence.

In addition to the police, who can be contacted at any time in acute situations of violence via the emergency number 110,

• women's advice centers
  (search for advice centers at: https://www.frauenberatungsstellen-nrw.de/),
• You can call the help hotline "Violence against women" at 116 016 for anonymous and free advice 365 days a year at any time. Advice is available in many languages with the help of interpreters. Calls are treated in strict confidence. After an initial consultation, women affected by violence are referred to a local support facility.
  The instant chat is available daily between 12 noon and 8 pm. Registration is not required. As soon as you enter the instant chat, a consultant will contact you.
  In addition, you have the option of using the email consultation to submit a consultation request to our consultants, view responses or edit a saved draft. You will receive a personal response within 24 hours.
• The "Violence against men" helpline is available to men who have experienced or are still experiencing violence on the free number 0800 123 99 00 or by email at beratung [at] maennerhilfetelefon.de Monday to Thursday from 9 am to 1 pm and 4 pm to 8 pm, and on Fridays from 9 am to 3 pm. Those affected can also find a digital advice service on the website www.maennerhilfetelefon.de. This service is also available nationwide.
• Women's shelters (https://frauenhauskoordinierung.de),
• intervention centres for victims of domestic violence,
• victim support organizations, e.g. WEISSER RING e.V. (https://weisser-ring.de or via the victim hotline of WEISSER RING e.V. under Tel.: 116 006),
• specially trained officers for police victim protection at your local police station,
• round-the-clock telephone counseling on 0800 111 0111 or 111 0222,
• equal opportunities offices of the district offices and municipalities
  (http://frauenbueros-nrw.de/service/gleichstellungsstellen-in-nrw.html),
• Special offers for LGBTI people can be found at https://rubicon-koeln.de,
• Marriage and family counseling centers,
• Court application centers,
• Legal counseling centers.

Counseling for perpetrators

In order to break the cycle of violence, it is necessary for the perpetrator to change their behavior. These behavioral changes should be achieved with the help of social training programs (perpetrator programs), which the justice system can make mandatory for the perpetrator. Offender programs are often offered by counseling centers of the Diakonie, Caritas, Arbeiterwohlfahrt or the Sozialdienst Katholischer Männer. Perpetrators of domestic violence can also turn to these support organizations for assistance in preventing further outbreaks of violence.