Germany passes ‘historic’ law against domestic violence

The Act introduces, for the first time at the federal level, the right to free protection and counselling, effective from January 2032. The extended timeline is intended to give federal states time to strengthen support systems in line with the new legal requirements.
The government will now allocate €2.6 billion by 2036 to expand women’s shelters and close gaps in the network of counselling services.

“The law is a crucial driver to ensure that we at least maintain, if not improve, the current level of support and funding,” Germany’s Association of Women’s Shelters told Euractiv.

The law will also focus on violence prevention through offender programmes, public awareness campaigns, and better coordination between specialist support services and general assistance networks.

“The Violence Protection Act will save lives. Access to protective facilities is absolutely essential,” said Green MEP Katrin Langensiepen to Euractiv. Link to full article here.