The German Judges Association has warned that the planned law designed to protect women from violence could turn into a “paper tiger”.
Sven Rebehn, president of the Judges Association, told several newspapers of the Funke media group that state leaders must move from demands to concrete action. He said the “package for more security and to combat violence against women” which the Prime Ministers’ Conference has now demanded, remains a paper tiger unless prosecutors and courts are significantly strengthened.
Under the new Violence Protection Act, family courts should, upon request by affected women, be able to order electronic ankle bracelets for violent offenders as quickly as possible. The courts are also to monitor the measures decided by the conference on March 5. Rebehn cautions that family courts cannot fulfill these obligations without additional staff. He notes that many prosecutor’s offices and criminal courts are already stretched to the limit.
Rebehn singled out Hessian Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU) and other ruling‑party leaders for blocking the agreed Rule of Law Pact with the federal government. He criticized the strategy of merely putting tough laws on display in Berlin, pointing out that a chronically overburdened judiciary cannot enforce them. Rebehn added that the state must actually uphold its security promises, otherwise public trust in politics will continue to decline.
