Training Offer: Domestic Violence & Women's Shelters – Interfaces, Securing Evidence, and Victim Protection

Special Training for Public and District Attorney's Offices

Why this training is crucial for your investigation practice:

Proceedings in the area of domestic violence present special challenges for the public prosecutor's office: witnesses who refuse to testify, complex interactions with family court proceedings, and residency law issues. This training provides insights from the practice of women's shelters to optimize cooperation, ensure the quality of evidence, and avoid re-traumatization, which often becomes an obstacle to proceedings.

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The Training Content in Detail

I. Specifics of Evidence Collection with Residents of Women's Shelters

How can investigations be conducted successfully when the victim lives in a protective facility?

• Accessibility and Summons: Secure handling of anonymous addresses and mail delivery to avoid disclosing the location in the case file.

• Testimonial Behavior of Traumatized Witnesses: Psychological backgrounds of ambivalence, withdrawal of criminal complaints, and use of § 52 StPO (German Code of Criminal Procedure).

• Securing Evidence Beyond Witness Testimony: Use of injury documentation, reports from social workers, and memory protocols as evidence.

• Dealing with Re-traumatization: Interrogation strategies that maintain and promote the witness's willingness to cooperate.

II. Interface of Criminal Law & Family Law (Protection Against Violence)

Criminal proceedings often run parallel to civil protection orders. How do these proceedings influence each other?

• The Protection Against Violence Act (GewSchG) in Practice: Relevance of civil orders for criminal investigation proceedings (§ 4 GewSchG).

• Interaction of Proceedings: Using findings from custody and access rights proceedings for the criminal file and vice versa.

• Credibility Assessment: Handling discrepancies between statements in family court and testimonies to the police or public prosecutor's office.

• Accelerating Proceedings: Prioritization in high-risk cases based on risk assessments from the perspective of women's shelters.

III. Residency Law Implications for Criminal Proceedings

For migrant victims, the residence permit often depends directly on the course or outcome of the criminal proceedings.

• The Hardship Case (§ 31 AufenthG): The significance of criminal investigations for the victim's independent residence permit.

• Obligation to Cooperate vs. Fear of Deportation: Understanding why victims remain silent and how cooperation can be encouraged through education.

• Interpreter Issues: Recognizing and avoiding typical sources of error during interrogation in the context of cultural specifics.

IV. Cooperation and Process Optimization

• Cooperation between Public Prosecutor's Office & Women's Shelter: Establishing direct communication channels, designated contact persons, and clarifying data protection boundaries.

• Victim Support: Considering when the involvement of joint plaintiff representatives or psychosocial trial support is beneficial to the proceedings.

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Your Expert with Practical Experience

Dr. Farsana Soleimankehl-Hanke

• Lawyer & Lecturer

• Expert in Criminal and Family Law with a focus on Protection Against Violence

• Long-standing consultant for women's shelters with expertise in the interface between the judiciary and victim protection facilities

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Conditions & Booking Options

Format:

• In-house training (on-site at your authority)

• Webinar / Online Training

Duration:

• Recommended: 3 to 5 hours (incl. discussion and case studies)

Costs:

• Digital event: €850 (net)

• In-person event: €1,000 (net) plus travel expenses

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Inquire now without obligation and secure your date

Law Firm Dr. Soleimankehl-Hanke
HUFELANDHAUS (B)
Hegelplatz 1, 10117 Berlin
Tel.: +49 (0)30 602 634 90
Email: kanzlei@soleimankehl.de
Web: www.soleimankehl.de