High-risk management in Rhineland-Palatinate – A report on experiences from Trier

In Trier, police, women's shelters and youth welfare office work together in case conferences – a model for effective protection against violence.

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History of high-risk management in Rhineland-Palatinate

High-risk case conferences have been conducted throughout Rhineland-Palatinate (RLP) since 2018. These conferences are coordinated and led by high-risk coordinators and police officers, whose positions were established at the state's police directorates in 2017 with the introduction of high-risk management.

Of great importance in this regard was the Rhineland-Palatinate intervention project against violence against women (RIGG). It was founded in 2000. The project is coordinated by the Ministry for Family, Women, Culture and Integration (MFFKI) (see also the article by Katharina Binz in FHK-Fachinformation 01/2023, pp. 9–11 ).

In this project, all state and non-state actors dealing with the issue of "violence against women" are networked in regional roundtables and contribute problems and questions to expert working groups.

^{In 2013 ,} this network led to the decision by the overarching statewide roundtable to establish a temporary expert group entitled "Dealing with High-Risk Cases of Sexual Abuse and Separation Stalking." Under the leadership of the Ministry for Women, Families, Children and Youth (MFFKI), this group was tasked with developing a standardized, statewide framework for interdisciplinary intervention. The goal was to develop and implement a structured, institutionalized, and interdisciplinary intervention to reduce homicides and serious acts of violence in cases of sexual abuse.

The framework incorporates insights and experiences.

on dynamics of violence and risk factors, on suitable risk analysis tools to make reliable predictions about possible future violence.
based on best-practice examples from other countries: Interdisciplinary high-risk case conferences have been successfully conducted in England and Wales since 2003 and have been successfully adapted in Vienna since 2011.
From a pilot study conducted in Rhineland-Palatinate starting in 2014: The Rhineland-Palatinate Police Headquarters, in cooperation with the University of Koblenz-Landau, carried out a pilot project called "High-risk management in cases of GesB" and relied heavily on the experiences from best-practice examples.

The framework developed in this way has since provided recommendations for a systematic and objectively oriented approach to high-risk management within the framework of interdisciplinary high-risk case conferences.

How does a case conference come about?

Following a police intervention involving a domestic violence support unit (GVS) , the police can conduct a risk assessment using the standardized ODARA (Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment) questionnaire, regardless of measures taken under the Protection Against Violence Act . ^However , this risk assessment often shifts to subsequent counseling by intervention centers, provided the woman accepts their offer of support.

Regardless of police operations, all other actors who learn of a client's experience of violence and suspect a high-risk situation can also conduct a risk analysis with the ODARA or suggest it to appropriate bodies and thus bring a case to a case conference.

ODARA is designed to predict recidivism and provides information on the estimated risk of a renewed serious violent offense. A score of five or higher classifies a case as high-risk. ODARA does not predict homicides and does not inquire about the likelihood of experiencing sexual violence. The latter, as a potential ex officio offense, would immediately trigger criminal prosecution in a police context, possibly against the will of the woman affected.

Provided that extensive consultation on the possibilities, limitations and consequences of a case conference has been conducted and the written consent of the woman concerned has been obtained, the case can then be registered with the high-risk coordinator of the responsible police directorate (PD) for the next case conference.

The local network

Permanent members of the case conferences include the regional police, local women's support services (in Trier: intervention center and women's shelter), perpetrator intervention programs ("Contra Domestic Violence"), and the youth welfare office. The municipal youth welfare office has appointed a dedicated staff member who is delegated to the case conferences.

According to the framework concept, the public prosecutor's office was also planned as a permanent member, but does not participate in the case conferences in Trier. The public prosecutor's office sees a risk that criminal proceedings could be overturned due to procedural errors as a result of participating in case conferences. This risk is to be mitigated through close, ad-hoc communication with the high-risk coordinator.

In addition, all institutions involved in the case can be invited, depending on the specific circumstances. These may include: immigration authorities, legal guardians, victim support officers, women's helplines, victim support organizations, etc.

The case conference

Case conferences are held regularly. The intervals are determined by the responsible police directorate (PD) . The invitation includes the agenda, from which the cases to be discussed are listed anonymously. New cases are presented and "old" cases are reviewed^.

^{According to our count ,} a total of approximately 120 high-risk cases were brought to case conferences in 2024. Between a minimum of eight and a maximum of 18 cases were discussed per meeting, with each meeting scheduled for approximately three hours.

Participants invited on a case-by-case basis only attend the meetings in which they are involved. For each case, the current status and risk assessment are discussed, and information on the background and measures already taken, such as the following, is gathered:

• Information about the perpetrator's current whereabouts • Any further suspicious activity or possible (new) threats from him

• New information about his mental state, possibly a significant escalation in the form of a mental crisis, which could mean an increased risk to the woman.

• Exchange on how to establish contact with children • Exchange on completed or missed counselling contacts, e.g., with the youth welfare office or perpetrator intervention services

• Violations of conditions

• Relevant information about the work situation, conflicts outside the case, etc.

But the situation of the woman and her children is also examined: Does she have a new partner? Is she attending counseling sessions with the intervention center? Here, it is of particular importance to repeatedly prioritize victim protection and the safety interests of the woman affected, and to insist that lifestyle and victim/violence protection be considered independently of each other.

Previously submitted cases will also be reviewed: What is the current status, what has happened in the meantime? Have the measures been effective? If necessary, new measures must be considered. Cases in which no new information has emerged, or where the threat level appears to have eased, are put on hold – meaning they remain on the agenda and can be reopened if needed.

The background is: A so-called "downgrading" of cases is only possible if the woman moves away, then the case is handed over to the responsible case conference at the new place of residence.

Clear criteria exist for classification (five points according to ODARA), but apart from the relocation of those affected, there are no structured criteria for downgrading.

The coordinator coordinates, moderates, and records the case conferences. They maintain the list of submitted cases, serve as the case-related contact person between conferences, establish contacts as needed, and are available for follow-up questions. They are also thematically networked through the conference and are a member of the Regional Round Table of RIGG (Rhineland-Palatinate Intervention Project against Violence against Women).

catalog of measures

Possible measures include, for example: perpetrator-specific preventive measures, which are already provided for in the Police Regulations Act (POG) and the Protection Against Violence Act: restraining orders, no-contact and no-approach orders, custody, warnings to potential offenders, etc. But further measures can also be developed, such as filing a criminal complaint for other or, in the specific case, not yet named offenses, a request for police surveillance, regular patrols at the woman's residence, searches of her apartment, etc.

Youth welfare offices or family courts can also issue orders, such as:

• Recommendation/obligation/requirement to participate in the perpetrator work program (instruction regarding the exercise of parental responsibility)

• Reporting of child endangerment to the court by the youth welfare office

• Supporting supervised visits, suspending visits, or issuing a contact ban.

Although child endangerment is considered a specific form of child welfare endangerment according to § 8a SGB VII, it is always important within the framework of interdisciplinary cooperation to point out the importance of protection from violence in connection with custody and visitation rights and to raise awareness that the interests of the perpetrator are not the primary focus here.

The aim of the case conferences is a preventive approach with measures for the protection and support of those affected, e.g. through

• Contact by the police victim support officer(s),

• Behavioral and safety advice in the area of the home,

• Creation of safety plans together with the person affected

• Contact initiated by youth welfare offices or intervention centers

• Admission to a women's shelter or use of protection services in consultation with the women's shelter

• Forwarding information to schools/daycare centers/after-school programs regarding the security situation

• other measures, such as police escort to court dates,

• Organization of a necessary move with support from the White Ring or similar organizations.

We, as staff members of women's support organizations, have experienced that a necessary reduction of barriers to further effective protective measures, such as easier access to witness protection programs or uncomplicated extension of protection measures against violence, is not occurring to the required extent.

Following the case conference, it is then the responsibility of the professional who made contact with the woman concerned and/or introduced the case to discuss the agreed measures with her.

Rating

The great strength of case conferences lies in the interdisciplinary networking and collaboration of the participating institutions. This can also accelerate and improve the flow of information and protective measures outside of the case conferences. High-risk cases remain on the agenda and thus in focus during the case conferences for as long as necessary. In the discussion – even across cases – the feminist perspective and specialist expertise are very important, which can be contributed by the staff of women's support services in the sense of ongoing education and awareness-raising.

We consider the exclusion of women affected by violence not from intimate partner violence, but from domestic violence, e.g., by parents or siblings (mostly brothers), to be problematic, as they are sometimes under serious threat. These situations are not covered by ODARA and, despite a high potential for threat in individual cases, cannot be addressed in case conferences. While the network can be accessed in these cases, the opportunity to benefit from interdisciplinary exchange is lost.

High-risk management within the framework of case conferences is very time-consuming. Intervention centers are particularly involved in these conferences, as they, along with the police, bring in the majority of cases. Women's shelters, as explicitly designated safe havens, bring in significantly fewer cases than outpatient services such as intervention centers or specialized counseling services.

The framework concept, however, only includes a model calculation for additional compensation for the participation of counselors in case conferences. While a financial distribution formula based on case numbers was developed for the intervention centers for 2019 and 2020, a fully developed financial concept with a cost-covering and sustainable budget is still pending despite various discussions and applications.

The framework for high-risk management in cases of domestic violence and stalking reflects the recommendations of the expert group "High-Risk Management," but binding guidelines are lacking. While high-risk management has been implemented across Rhineland-Palatinate, its implementation varies regionally (see also the Grevio Shadow Report Rhineland-Palatinate 2020 ). A structured evaluation and feedback system—for example, for adjustments, refinements, and corrections to procedures that prove ineffective—does not exist.

The success and continuity of all advanced innovations depend heavily on the commitment and accountability of the individuals involved in implementation processes.

This seems particularly important to us when filling the positions of high-risk coordinators in the interest of a consistently high quality of cooperation, but it does not always appear to be the case.

This article was originally published in the FHK specialist information 2025 on the topic of (high) risk management and protection against violence.

Author: Ina Wagner-Böhm, graduate psychologist, has been working in the team of the autonomous women's shelter Trier since 2015 and was involved in the process of introducing high-risk case conferences on site as a staff member.

Footnotes:

1) GesB stands for "Violence in Close Social Relationships" and refers to individual violence perpetrated by men against women who are or were in close personal relationships with each other. The term GesB encompasses all forms of physical, sexual, psychological, socio-economic, and emotional violence, but explicitly excludes structural violence against women. This definition formed the basis for the "Rhineland-Palatinate Intervention Project against Violence in Close Social Relationships" (RIGG), but was not intended as a criminal, civil, or police law definition. In 2023, the term was abandoned in favor of the term "domestic violence."

2) Due to its abbreviated item formulations, ODARA is less practical for use in counseling than, for example, the Danger Assessment Scale. For an overview of suitable analysis tools, please refer to the bff's Best Practice Handbook (p. 21), which can be accessed via the following link: https://www.frauen-gegen-gewalt.de/de/infothek/arbeit-mit-hochrisiko.html

3) In 2024, monthly intervals were initially set, but towards the end of the year, these had to be extended to 8-week intervals for administrative reasons.

4) Public statistics on case conferences are not available.