Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) stated that she would champion a proposal requiring individuals to file a report if they gain knowledge of planned severe acts of violence. “I find that to be highly worth considering,” Hubig told the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.” She emphasized the emergence of new, serious phenomena that society must confront. Specifically, if men were exchanging information on digital platforms about planned rape, it would be legally actionable for anyone who learned of the plans but failed to file a report.
According to the Minister, gang rapes are particularly traumatic for victims, and perpetrators must be severely punished. Although high fines are already possible, Hubig noted that the coalition agreement mandates an increase in the legal penalty bracket, which they intend to implement.
Hubig also issued a call to men to engage with the issue of sexual violence. “Sexual violence is a societal problem, and we can only manage it together,” she asserted. She stressed that everyone must address this-regardless of class, age, origin, or gender. She specifically challenged men to confront sexual violence and take a stance against it, noting that this necessary engagement is currently lacking.
While acknowledging areas of progress, the Minister observed a significant sense of uncertainty among many men. She emphasized the importance that men not be placed under general suspicion. Although sexual and domestic violence is overwhelmingly committed by men, she cautioned that this does not justify blanket generalizations. Many men lack an understanding of how widespread the problem of sexual violence is, partly because they have not been personally affected.
Hubig shared a personal anecdote that heightened her awareness. During a visit to a women’s shelter, she sat with several women and two men. When she mentioned that each woman had at some point seen an exhibitionist, the women nodded in confirmation. The men, by contrast, were astonished, having assumed such an occurrence would be rare, perhaps only happening to one in a thousand women. Hubig noted that for women, this is instead often a matter of normalcy.
