(de-news.net) – In an effort to systematically capture forms of violence that do not appear in official crime statistics, the Federal Government has released its first comprehensive nationwide dark-figure study examining violence in intimate partnerships, family settings, and public spaces. Drawing on a representative survey of several thousand respondents, the study underscores the extent to which violence in everyday life remains both widespread and structurally underreported. The findings indicate that nearly 45 percent of women and men have experienced psychological violence within an intimate relationship at least once over the course of their lives, while approximately one in six respondents reported having been subjected to physical violence by a current or former partner. In the area of sexual violence, almost 18 percent of women reported at least one sexual assault, and 1.5 percent stated that they had been raped within the past five years, compared with 0.2 percent of men. Taken together, the data show that women are affected not only more frequently but also more severely, particularly with regard to sexualized forms of violence.
The study further demonstrates that reporting rates to law enforcement remain exceptionally low. Fewer than 10 percent of violent incidents overall are reported to the police, with reporting rates dropping below 5 percent in cases of sexual assault and violence within intimate partnerships. Fear of repercussions, feelings of shame, and a lack of trust in public authorities were identified as the primary barriers preventing victims from coming forward. Certain groups were found to be disproportionately affected, including women with a migration background and members of the queer community. This heightened exposure is partly attributable to age-related factors, as younger population groups are generally at higher risk of experiencing violence.
Calls for stronger victim protection and perpetrator accountability
Social welfare organizations characterized the findings as deeply concerning, stressing that the actual scale of violence far exceeds what is reflected in police statistics and therefore points to a substantially greater need for prevention measures, counseling services, and protective infrastructure. They called for a significant expansion of shelters, stronger and more sustained family support structures, and more systematic engagement with perpetrators. In response, the Interior Ministry announced a series of measures, including plans to impose tougher penalties for drug-facilitated crimes, to further develop a covert digital application that enables victims to document abuse discreetly, and to consider the use of electronic monitoring for offenders.
The study fulfills Germany’s obligations under the Istanbul Convention and deliberately avoids the term “violence” in its title in order to lower participation barriers and encourage involvement by individuals who have been affected. Experts and advocacy groups noted that the results confirm long-standing warnings from research and practice and underscore the need for a coherent, integrated response encompassing prevention, early education, victim protection, criminal prosecution, and perpetrator programs. They emphasized that addressing violence must not be treated as a reaction to isolated incidents or symbolic dates, but rather as a sustained and enduring societal priority.
