Optimized victim protection: Saxony-Anhalt prevails at the judicial conference

Optimized victim protection: Saxony-Anhalt prevails at the judicial conference

The Justice Ministers Conference (JuMiKo) is currently taking place in Leipzig, with the motto of strengthening victim and witness protection in Germany. A key concern of this conference: victims and witnesses in criminal proceedings should be better protected. This was largely initiated by Saxony-Anhalt, which is reflected in several reports, such as dubisthalle.de and n-tv.de.

A central point in the ongoing discussion is the need for the federal government to make proposals to expand the rights of witnesses in accordance with Section 68 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The current events surrounding the tragic attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market in December 2024, in which around 1,600 people were affected, make clear the need for rapid reform. The State Minister of Justice of Saxony-Anhalt, Franziska Weidinger, emphasized that the protection of victims and witnesses is of the utmost importance. No one should have to suffer fear or psychological stress again as a result of perpetrators' attempts to contact them.

An important step for victim protection

The initiative, which was launched in Saxony-Anhalt, has now received support from the support of the Justice Ministers' Conference in Leipzig. The idea is clear: comprehensive protection for victims and witnesses in criminal proceedings should be ensured. This also includes the introduction of a legally protected contact address in the procedural files in order to prevent unwanted contact from the perpetrators. Minister Weidinger emphasized the urgent need to take action to protect against psychological stress.

In addition, it is being discussed to what extent eyewitnesses of serious acts of violence can legally be provided with a confidant in the future. The focus so far has mostly only been on the injured. These new considerations are intended to help reduce the psychological consequences for those affected by terrorist attacks and major disasters.

Cooperation across national borders

The Conference of Justice Ministers also encouraged the exchange of experiences between the countries. The idea: Better communication between the responsible authorities should enable a faster and more effective response in an emergency. A proposal to set up a federal-state working group to optimize this networking was also put forward. It is clear to the participants: comprehensive victim protection and individual support for those affected must be given greater priority in the coming years.

As the ongoing discussions show, the JuMiKo keeps an eye on both legal policy aspects and the challenges of the judiciary in its permanent meetings. It is encouraging that the need for better victim protection is now being discussed at the highest level and that everyone involved is pulling together.