Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig (SPD) aims to better protect women from partner violence – with ankle restraints for conspicuous men and harsher punishments for offenders.
“We have a very serious problem with partner violence in Germany” she told the “Stern”. For her top priority, therefore, is “to better protect women from violence by their partner or ex‑partner”.
She said she wants family courts to be empowered to order violent offenders to wear an electronic ankle bracelet, a measure that could save lives. The imposition of an ankle bracelet would also be possible even if no assault had yet occurred. Moreover, the minister is currently examining whether cases in which a man kills a woman, for example out of a sense of male ownership, should ordinarily be treated as murder. “Maximum penalties for femicides are already possible under current criminal law” Hubig said. “But we are also looking at the murder statutes”. It must, however, be clear that amending the murder statute is highly demanding.
Hubig conceded that courts sometimes still hold an old‑fashioned view of relationships between men and women: “In parts of society we still have a view of women that is very traditional and old‑fashioned. And of course the justice system is a mirror of society”.
In recent years, hundreds of women in Germany have been murdered by their husbands, partners or former partners. In 2023 and 2024, there were at least 280 cases. In the previous year, according to a “Stern” research based on police reports, press coverage and criminal case files, about 90 cases were publicly reported.
