The number of victims of domestic violence in Germany rose by 6.9% in 2023 compared to the previous year, with Family Minister Lisa Paus on Friday lamenting the “shocking scale of a sad reality”.
According to a recent police crime statistics report, a total of 88,411 people were officially affected by domestic violence in 2023.
In 2022 there was already an increase of more than 8% compared to the previous year.
The majority of victims were women (70.5%). Of those affected, 65.5% were victims of intimate partner violence.
According to statistics, the remaining victims of domestic violence (34.5%) were affected by violence within the family. This is a form of violence that can also occur between grandparents and grandchildren or other close relatives.
According to statistics, there were 78,341 such cases in 2023. This is 6.7% more than the year before.
Last year, 75.6% of suspects in domestic violence cases were men. At 79.2%, victims of intimate partner violence were predominantly women, while 20.8% of those affected were men.
Most cases involved intentional minor physical abuse (59.1%), threats, stalking or coercion (24.6%) and serious bodily harm (11.4%).
Minister of Family Affairs Lisa Paus expressed her shock: “The further significant increase in domestic violence figures shows the shocking extent of a sad reality. Violence is an everyday phenomenon – it is unacceptable.”
Pope presented the federal situation report on domestic violence on Friday, together with Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser and the Vice President of the Federal Criminal Investigation Department, Martina Link.
Pope offered those affected the prospect of a new law. “We urgently need a national, accessible support service consisting of safe havens and competent advisors. To this end, we are working on a law that would guarantee access to protection and advice in cases of gender-based violence and domestic violence,” she explained. .
The Violence Assistance Act will “create the foundation for a reliable and needs-based support system for domestic and gender-based violence.”
