German parliament amends domestic violence law – FHK calls for further measures

The measures passed by the Bundestag today, such as electronic ankle monitors and mandatory perpetrator intervention programs, send an important signal. However, a comprehensive overall strategy against domestic and gender-based violence is needed , demands the Women's Shelter Coordination Association (FHK) regarding the amendment to the Protection Against Violence Act, which the Bundestag passed on Friday, May 8, 2026.

“To celebrate the electronic ankle monitor as a great success and to call it the introduction of the Spanish model is truly misleading. Spain, for example, also has specialized courts for domestic violence and a standardized risk assessment,” explains Sibylle Schreiber, Managing Director of the FHK (Federal Association of Victims of Violence). Studies show that only about one in ten femicides would have qualified for the use of an ankle monitor.

A comprehensive overall concept, as demanded by FHK, would include, for example, a standardized, nationwide (high-)risk management system with uniform risk assessment tools. Furthermore, FHK advocates for standardized, nationwide interdisciplinary case conferences that also include professionals from women's shelters and counseling centers. In addition, it is urgently necessary to reform family law and prioritize protection from violence over custody and visitation rights. 

“Because while on the one hand the ankle bracelet is being adopted to keep victims and perpetrators apart, on the other hand women affected by violence and their children are still forced into contact with their perpetrators in custody and visitation proceedings,” explains Sibylle Schreiber.

As expected, the AfD parliamentary group in the Bundestag once again used the debate to link gender-based violence with immigration. However, it has long been proven – for example, by the ifo Institute in 2025 – that this connection is factually incorrect. Anyone who continues to ignore this established reality is diverting attention from effective solutions to gender-based violence.