German coalition partners, the CDU and the SPD, are pressing to strengthen criminal penalties for so‑called femicides, arguing that the current legal framework does not adequately protect women from gender‑based violence.
In an interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, CDU law‑maker Martin Plum told the paper that “the criminal protection for women must be consistently enhanced”. He stressed that the high number of murders of women on the basis of their sex demands a “clear and effective legislative response”.
Earlier this year, SPD law‑makers in the “Schweriner Erklärung” called for an “adequate punishment for femicides and killings motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation”. According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, 308 women and girls were murdered in 2024, 191 of them by someone in their close circle. Both parties now plan to expand the murder clause of the Penal Code, but each prefers a different focus.
The SPD aims to make misogyny and patriarchal possession thinking the defining motive behind femicides. Carmen Wegge, an SPD law‑politician, emphasized that a new murder feature should capture the “worthlessness of the perpetrator’s attitude” and that their goal is to reach a unified solution by the end of the year. Wegge also made clear that the CDU proposal would not form the basis of that discussion.
The CDU, on the other hand, wants to broaden the legal definition to include “exploitation of physical superiority”. Plum argued that this approach is “systemically coherent, practically viable, and comprehensive” protecting not only women but also children, the elderly, and people with disabilities from lethal violence. He described the earlier draft from the last legislative session-already seen as the CDU’s benchmark-as a way to ensure these groups are protected “more consistently”.
The issue has already been part of coalition talks, but the exact wording of the new Penal Code section remains undecided. In a brief statement, the Federal Ministry of Justice said on Wednesday that it was “examining how best to implement the coalition agreement’s provisions” and that it could not provide further details at that time. The ministry also cited earlier comments by Justice Minister Hubig, who had warned against a “hasty approach” and suggested that femicides could already be treated as murder.
According to the German Judges’ Association (DRB), criminal hate offences and gender‑specific violence require a decisive response from the rule of law. DRB board director Sven Rebehn told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” that “penal tightening alone is insufficient”. He pointed out that while the criminal law already imposes the harshest punishments for murder, better protection requires preventive measures and efficient prosecution that holds offenders accountable swiftly and with deterrent sentences. He cautioned that it would be unacceptable for chronically understaffed public prosecutors to abandon cases simply because they cannot keep pace with ever‑increasing case loads.
