Germany aims to use ankle bracelets for domestic violence offenders

The Federal Ministry of Justice wants to better protect victims of domestic violence. In the future, perpetrators of violence may be required to wear electronic ankle bracelets and participate in anti-violence training. This is according to a draft law presented by Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig (SPD) on Monday.

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The ankle bracelet is intended to enforce restraining orders more effectively: threatened persons would be warned electronically as soon as the perpetrator approached, the ministry explained. “Our state must do more to combat domestic violence; we must protect women in particular,” Minister Hubig explained.

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The SPD politician referred to Spain's positive experiences with electronic ankle bracelets. “Electronic ankle bracelets can save lives,” Hubig explained. It is “time that we also use this tool nationwide in Germany to protect women in particular from domestic violence.”

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According to the ministry, every few minutes in Germany, a woman is attacked by her partner or ex-partner. Almost every other day, a man kills his partner or ex-partner. “We must not become accustomed to this brutal violence,” Hubig warned.

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The draft law provides that family courts can require violent offenders to wear an electronic ankle bracelet “in high-risk cases.” This is to ensure “that a violent offender cannot approach the person he is threatening in an unauthorized manner without being noticed,” the ministry explained. “If the perpetrator approaches the threatened person in a prohibited manner, the threatened person should also be able to find out immediately.”

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Family courts will also be given the option of requiring violent offenders to participate in anti-violence training. “Offenders will be shown ways to resolve conflicts without violence in the future,” the ministry explained. Other changes include higher penalties for violations of protection orders and the option for family courts to obtain information from the weapons registry.

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According to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), the number of victims of domestic violence in Germany reached a new high last year with almost 266,000 recorded cases.

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