The Federal Cabinet has approved a comprehensive reform of penal law designed to intensify the fight against human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
The bill, proposed by Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig (SPD), introduces penalties for new forms of exploitation, such as surrogacy, adoption, and forced marriage. Furthermore, the reform plans to implement demand liability, which would hold individuals accountable if they knowingly utilize services provided by victims of human trafficking.
Hubig stated that human trafficking is a brutal form of exploitation that is widespread even within Germany, asserting, “Our rule of law must act decisively and effectively against this dehumanizing form of crime”. The reform aims to close legal loopholes and increase the penalties for particularly severe forms of forced prostitution. The Minister emphasized that sexual exploitation is especially degrading and disproportionately affects women and girls. She added, “We want to protect women and girls overall better from violence. Strict penalties for forced prostitution are essential to this goal”.
The draft also includes a revision of the legal regulations protecting against sexual exploitation. The definitions of these crimes are intended to be clearer, and the corresponding penalties are to be raised to ensure perpetrators are held more consistently responsible. Concurrently, the proposal is set to implement the updated European directive against human trafficking. The draft is now being submitted to the Bundesrat and the German Bundestag for further deliberation.
