“It is a disgrace when women in Germany are put in mortal danger”

We talk to Jörg Kinzig, Director of the Institute of Criminology at the University of Tübingen, and his academic colleague Florian Rebmann, member of the “Femicide” research team, about the increasing number of femicides in Germany.

FOCUS online: The number of femicides in Germany has been rising for years. Just last week there were two cases in Berlin alone. Why is that?

In fact, such an increase has been observed for about two years. It is currently unclear whether the increase in the last two years represents a permanent trend, especially since the figures in the mid-2010s were sometimes even higher. It would therefore be pure guesswork to speculate about the causes of the current development at this point in time.

Are the judiciary and politicians not taking tough enough action here?

In Germany, femicides are generally and quite rightly prosecuted with great effort and punished with long prison sentences. From a scientific point of view, it is very unlikely that an increase in these penalties, whether through a “tougher justice system” or through tightening of the law, would lead to a reduction in the number of cases. As bitter as it may seem, the perpetrators do not look at the penal code before committing their crime.

“It is a disgrace when women in Germany are put in mortal danger”

Federal Minister for Family Affairs Lisa Paus has announced a law to help women with violence, which, among other things, is intended to provide more shelter places for women. A good idea?

In principle, yes. Precisely because more deterrence rarely promises success, it seems right to focus on prevention and strengthen the legal position of potential victims. It is a disgrace when women in Germany are put in mortal danger because they cannot get to safety after separating from their violent partner. But it is also true that it is rarely a natural reason for a woman to be killed that she was not given a place in a women’s shelter.

What else is needed?

Moving to a women’s shelter often has many disadvantages for those affected. The potential perpetrator should therefore be given more attention. Compulsory anti-violence training for violent partners, as recently proposed by Federal Minister of the Interior Faeser, could be one building block. It is also important that men are taught from childhood how to deal with their feelings appropriately and that their partners are equal and should be respected.

Would electronic ankle bracelets be a solution for offenders?

They could help if they were designed according to the so-called “Spanish model”. The special feature is that the potential victims are also equipped with a receiver that can register the approach of the suspected perpetrator regardless of the victim’s location. This way, the police and victims can be warned in good time. However, it is not yet fully clear whether this measure can largely prevent femicides.