What is an Outpatient Clinic for Protection against Violence?

The Charité’s Outpatient Clinic for Protection against Violence is a central facility where victims of violence can undergo a forensic examination. We find out what the facts are, do a physical examination of the violence victims, and take photos to document injuries. The victims then have both photos and a written report to be able to prove the violence against them.

Who comes to you for treatment in the Outpatient Clinic for Protection against Violence?

“People who have experienced physical violence come to us. About half of our work is with victims of domestic violence, but we also see people who have been attacked by strangers. We call that interpersonal violence. We also see people who have experienced violence at work, we see children who we suspect of being abused or neglected, and we also see victims of sexualized violence.
People can also come to us if they are uncertain as to whether to file a criminal complaint or not. That is important because many victims of violence initially don’t know what to do. They ask themselves whether to file a complaint or not, and if they waited to decide, it could be that the injuries have already healed.
Along with our examinations at the outpatient clinic, we also offer mobile services if the victims can’t come to us. This might be because the person is badly injured and admitted to a Berlin hospital. Then we go there so that they don’t have to be brought to us. Or if someone has fled to a battered women’s shelter, we go to the women’s counselling centre and examine the victim there.

What kind of injuries do women, men and children have when they come to you?

“In 90 % of the cases, we see the effects of ‘blunt force,’ which means that the victims have been kicked, hit, pinched, bitten, that arms or legs have been twisted. The most typical injuries are bruises, but we also see skin abrasions and also broken bones, especially in the face, such as a broken nose or cheekbone.”

What happens after the examination?

“Our work ends when the examination is finished and we have prepared the relevant documentation. Of course, it is important that the violence victims not only be examined, but that they receive good counselling and support as things progress. That is why we have a cooperation partner who specialises in victim support, Opferhilfe Berlin, and they offer counselling in our facility, so that the violence victims, once they have been examined by us, can receive counselling right away so that we can decide together: What should we do now? What are the legal steps to be taken?”

How many people take advantage of the outpatient violence protection service?

“The Outpatient Clinic for Protection against Violence was founded in Berlin as a model project in 2014, and in the first two years we saw almost 1,000 victims of violence. In the past few years, we have observed that the numbers increase every year. This doesn’t mean that there are more violence victims. Rather, it simply means that more and more violence victims are aware that we exist.”

Name: Dr. Saskia Etzold
Profession: Deputy Head of the Outpatient Clinic for the Protection against Violence of the Charité in Berlin
Task: The team of the outpatient clinic medically examines victims of physical violence and secures evidence. Whether or not the victims want to file a criminal complaint about the violence they suffered can be decided at a later point.