Status: 08/13/2022 09:36 a.m
Anyone who becomes a victim of a violent act in Germany can apply for compensation from the state. According to the White Ring, however, it approves too few such applications. Apparently, there are other issues as well.
According to the Weißer Ring aid organization, victims of violence far too rarely receive the statutory help from the state.
One reason for the White Ring is the bureaucracy: it increasingly leaves people “who have gotten into trouble through no fault of their own, helpless behind”. This was announced by the federal chairman of the aid organization for crime victims and former president of the Federal Criminal Police Office, Jörg Ziercke, the dpa news agency.
Almost every second application rejected
According to a survey by the White Ring, 46.6 percent of applications under the Victim Compensation Act were rejected nationwide last year – almost every second application. “This is the worst value for more than 20 years,” reported the White Ring.
Only 27.6 percent of applications were approved last year. This rate was only slightly lower in 2019 at 26.2 percent.
The other applications that were not rejected (25.8 percent) also received no help: they were discontinued in 2021 “for other reasons”. According to the Weißer Ring, reasons for this were, for example, the withdrawal of the application, the death of an applicant or the transfer of the case to another federal state.
Victim Compensation Law
With the Victim Compensation Law the state undertakes to support victims of violent crimes such as physical injury, domestic violence or sexual abuse. They should be protected from health and economic disadvantages as a result of the crime. The state should take over costs for medical treatments or pension payments. According to the Victim Compensation Law, all people who are victims of an intentional act of violence on the “sovereign territory of the Federal Republic of Germany” and suffer damage to their health as a result are entitled to this assistance.
Victims of violence withdrew applications
“I am firmly convinced that behind this there are mostly cases in which victims of violence have withdrawn their applications – because they are worn down by the bureaucracy and the long procedures,” said Ziercke. Why victims actually withdraw their applications is not recorded uniformly nationwide.
Many do not know of their rights
According to Weißer Ring, there is another problem: many of those affected do not even know that there is a right to compensation for victims. The organization said it was largely unknown and far too few of those affected made an application at all.
The numbers support this theory: Around 15,000 applications for compensation were made last year. In relation to this, the White Ring refers to around 165,000 acts of violence recorded in the police crime statistics. This quota – the ratio of applications made to registered acts of violence – has been between nine and eleven percent for more than 20 years.
“Authorities must check for recognition”
Ziercke called for a culture change in the responsible pension offices. “The authorities have to check for recognition, not rejection,” said Ziercke.
In Germany, the guiding principle must apply: In case of doubt, for the victim!