Victim support services in Germany

The Federation, the Länder and many non-governmental victim support organisations are working together to effectively protect the victims of criminal offences.

Since Germany is a federal state, victim assistance in general is provided independently by Germany’s Länder. They work to improve the situation of victims of criminal offences, and offer appropriate assistance through a variety of services. These services include, for example, appointing victim-support commissioners at police stations, setting up witness support units, providing accommodation for abused women and girls, providing informational materials to victims, and financial support.

Governmental and non-governmental, professional and volunteer victim support organisations are dedicated to improving the situation of victims and to offering them the support they need.

The experts from the victim support organisations give victims the opportunity to talk about the effects of the criminal offence. They provide psychosocial assistance and information about possible criminal proceedings and financial compensation. They can also assist in finding further help, for example a lawyer or a psychotherapist.

The organisation Weisser Ring e.V. deserves special mention since it is the only victim support organisation that is active nationwide. In addition to personal helpdesks all over Germany, the organisation also offers a victims helpline that is available daily between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. (phone number 116 006) and provides victims of criminal offences with quick and professional assistance.

„Arbeitskreis der Opferhilfen in Deutschland e.V.“ (ado) acts as an umbrella organisation for a range of professional victim support organisations operating at the regional level. Its aims include facilitating a regular exchange of information between victim support organisations in Germany, introducing standards for professional victim support, establishing further professional victim support organisations and bolstering cooperation between victims’ organisations.

Additionally, there are a range of support organisations specialising in advising and assisting victims of specific criminal offences, particularly sexual offences and racist, antisemitic, homophobic or transphobic attacks. These, too, are organised under different umbrella organisations, for example:

VBRG – the Association of Counseling Centers for Victims of Right-wing, Racist and Anti-Semitic Violence in Germany
BFF – Federal Association of Rape Crisis Centres and Women’s Counselling Centres in Germany

You can find local support services for the different types of criminal offences through the service locator.

Several Länder also have special Land foundations with regional counselling centres or victim support offices. These foundations provide financial support to victims of criminal offences and to organisations providing services in the field of victim support.

Information on the services available in the different Länder can be found on their websites:

Baden-Württemberg

Victim Protection and Support (available in German)
Victim protection under criminal law (available in German)
Land foundation victim protection (available in German)
Zeugeninfo.de (available in German)

Bavaria

Protect and prevent (available in German)
Violence prevention (available in German)
Witness support units in Bavaria (available in German)
Victim support foundation (available in German)

Berlin

Land commission Berlin against violence (available in German)

Brandenburg

Victim support organisations in the Land of Brandenburg (available in German)

Hamburg

Victim protection in Hamburg (available in German)

Hesse

Victim protection (available in German)
Under the heading “victim protection”, you can get up-to-date information and contact details for regional victim support offices, witness rooms, victim-offender mediation under general criminal law and compensation payments.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania