From trauma clinics to electronic ankle bracelets: Hamburg looks for ways to better protect women and break down patriarchal structures. The public is still debating what stricter measures are needed and what type of prevention is most promising for success.
The numbers are shocking: every three minutes in Germany, a woman or girl becomes a victim of domestic violence. Almost every day a woman is murdered in Germany because she is a woman. In Hamburg, as reported Wednesday in the Citizens’ Current Hour, six women have died this year as a result of acts of violence committed by a man. Against this backdrop, parliament discussed how women in the Hanseatic city could be better protected.
“Before my 18th birthday, I was sexually assaulted or sexually assaulted six times – mostly among family and friends. It wasn’t until I was 32, after an attack in my sleep, that I started to think about how deep-rooted the problem was.” With this personal description, Miriam Block (Green Party) makes clear today that violence does not occur on the fringes of society, but in the midst of it.
The Social Democratic Party emphasizes state responsibility. Violence is “one of the most serious human rights violations of our time,” said Claudia Loss. Hamburg implemented the Istanbul Convention, expanded women’s shelters and counseling centers, and promoted trauma and prevention clinics in schools. With the seventh women’s shelter, 32 new shelters have been built, with almost ten million euros available.
But not everyone is convinced that is enough. The CDU’s Antje Müller-Möller warns against complacency: “Much has been done, but the results fall short.” He referred to electronic ankle bracelets for abusive partners, which saved lives in Spain – in Hamburg they had only been ordered once since 2019 and withdrawn again. His group colleague, Richard Seelmaecker, also called for greater consistency: binding risk management and blackfield studies to detect violence early, faster prosecutions, and more options for enforcing prison sentences against violent perpetrators.
“Female murder is the most extreme form of patriarchal violence,” said Lena Zagst (Green Party). Therefore, his party requested that misogynistic motives be included in the Criminal Code as a characteristic of murder. But criminal law alone is not enough: “The opposite of patriarchal violence is self-determination.” These include economic independence, fair wages and safe housing – which this story has now made easier for women affected by violence.
David Stoop of the left put it even more sharply: “Violence is not a women’s problem, it is a men’s problem.” 84 percent of murder suspects are men. Fellow group member Hila Latifi warned against symbolic politics: “Severe punishments will not prevent crime as long as patriarchal structures remain.”
AfD’s Eugen Seiler provides a different accent. He referred to perpetrators who were foreign nationals: “We have to talk about the cultural background that drives violence.” According to the BKA, by 2023 around 48 percent of intimate partner violence suspects will not have a German passport – more than three times their share of the population. Seiler also called for more shelters for male victims. This should not be forgotten in discussions about intimate partner violence.
We must prevent violence from occurring – not just react when it occurs
Education Senator Ksenija Bekeris (SPD) spoke on behalf of the Senate because Social Affairs Senator Melanie Schlotzhauer was unable to attend due to a ministerial conference. Bekeris announced a better database and expanded prevention project. “We must prevent violence from occurring – not just react when it occurs.”
Hamburg faces the dual task of ensuring protection for those affected and creating cultural change that prevents violence from occurring. Or, as Miriam Block puts it: “The best protection against violence is a society in which equality is not discussed but lived.”
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