Reinforced Victim Safeguards with Implemented Tracking Agreements

In a significant move towards enhancing victim protection, the Minister of the Social, Health and Integration Authority in Baden-Württemberg, Manfred Lucha, has signed contracts with health insurance companies and forensic centres at the University Hospitals in Freiburg and Ulm.

These agreements aim to strengthen the offer of independent trace evidence in Baden-Württemberg, providing victims of domestic violence, sexual assaults, or other crimes with a free, confidential, and legally admissible evidence collection service.

The contracts follow the operation of four violence ambulances in Baden-Württemberg, located at the universities in Freiburg, Heidelberg, and Ulm, with the most recent violence ambulance in Stuttgart set to open at the end of 2023.

Johannes Bauernfeind, Chairman of the Board of AOK Baden-Württemberg, emphasised the importance of these clinics, stating that they offer victims a chance to secure evidence without having to decide immediately after an incident whether or not to file a criminal complaint.

Prof. Dr. Sebastian Kunz, Medical Director of the Institute of Legal Medicine at Ulm University Hospital, highlighted the importance of easy access to professional consultation, care, and legally admissible documentation of injuries for increased legal certainty for victims of violence.

The court-admissible securing of evidence enables the conviction of perpetrators at a later date and gives victims the option not to decide on filing a criminal complaint immediately after an incident.

The additional locations of the violence clinics in Ulm and Freiburg provide easy access to confidential trace evidence for all affected individuals, as stated by Bauernfeind. For insured persons, the respective health insurance company covers the costs of trace evidence, which is done confidentially, so the health insurance company does not know which insured persons have used the independent trace evidence.

The first contract was signed with the University Hospital Heidelberg in 2023, and Minister Lucha has now signed the contracts with the University Hospitals of Freiburg and Ulm. The operation of the violence ambulances has been supported by the Ministry of Social Affairs since their inception, with approximately one million euros in 2024.

Prof. Dr. Annette Thierauf-Emberger and Prof. Dr. Ulrike Schmidt, from the Institute of Forensic Medicine and the Forensic Center for Victims of Violence at the University Hospital Freiburg, welcomed the contract signing, stating that the financial support and cost coverage by the statutory health insurance companies are crucial for their institution's support of victims of sexualized violence and physical abuse in making a self-determined decision for or against legal steps.

The offer of procedure-independent trace evidence is open to everyone, regardless of age, gender, origin, or financial situation, as stated in the information for affected individuals. An early examination should be carried out in cases of domestic violence, strangulation, suspected child abuse, sexual assault, violence against the elderly, or other violent incidents such as brawls or attacks with dangerous objects, as stated in the information for affected individuals.

People who have suffered injuries due to violent events, accidents, or where securing evidence could contribute to clarification can be examined, according to the information for affected individuals. The Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, and Integration can be contacted via email for press inquiries or through a contact form for citizens' representatives.

The financial support from the state of Baden-Württemberg and now health insurers brings the goal of comprehensive legal medical care closer, according to Prof. Dr. Sebastian Kunz. The Minister, Manfred Lucha, states that legally sound, anonymous, and free trace evidence gives victims the security of knowing that they can report the crime at any time and that the evidence is not irretrievably lost.

Contact information for violence clinics in Freiburg, Heidelberg, Stuttgart, and Ulm is provided for those seeking help.