*** List of counselling & support services: see below***

Campaign website (in German): www.handle-jetzt.de
 

1.   »And what if I … go to the police now?« 

... then the police officers will explain to me what to expect. If I decide to file a report, short-term and long-term measures can be taken to protect my children and myself. The police can also refer me to support and counselling services.

Good to know:

• The police will help me if I experience violence at home — whether physical, sexual, psychological or emotional. I can call the police at any time if I or my children are experiencing violence or if we find ourselves in an acute emergency situation. I will receive help, and the perpetrator will be required to leave the scene or may be expelled from the home. Whoever strikes, must leave.
• I do not have to go to the police alone. I can take someone I trust or my legal representative with me for support.

2.   »And what if I … have evidence secured now?«

... I will gain time and can let a decision mature. The fact that I am securing evidence of the violent acts remains secret, and I don't necessarily have to use it — but I can and will need the evidence if I do decide to report the crime. I have three years and don't have to decide anything now.

Good to know:

• Evidence can be secured in all cases of violence — from sexual offences to a broken arm or a bruised face. One in three women experiences sexual violence in the course of her life. Seven per cent experience rape. Many women feel ashamed, afraid and desperate — yet they are not to blame for being raped. Forced sex is violence. All women affected need medical help and should have evidence secured. 
• Important: Do not shower, wash or change your clothes beforehand, as this could destroy important evidence — even if it is difficult.
• A trusted person can accompany me, which makes me feel safer. They can also explain or translate for me. I can seek advice, even anonymously and by telephone. (Photographic) Documentation of injuries and evidence such as blood, urine samples or foreign DNA will be secured and stored for use in court. Doctors can also seek advice.
• The medical examination is free of charge. 

3.   »And what if I … use psychosocial support during legal proceedings now?«

... then I won't have to be alone during the criminal proceedings. If I have experienced violence, I have the right to psychosocial support during the proceedings. I can apply to the court to receive this support free of charge, if the court agrees.

Good to know:

• This support protects me from further emotional stress. She explains to me in understandable terms what happens during the proceedings and accompanies me to the police, the public prosecutor's office and the court. This means I have people by my side who strengthen me, take me seriously and make me feel safe.
• The legal support does not advise on the case and does not replace therapy. But they are there for me before, during and after the trial — with the aim of protecting me, stabilising me and preventing me from being re-traumatised.

4.   »And what if I ... call the women's shelter now?«          

... then we will discuss my situation and I can get my thoughts in order and — if I want to — take myself and the children to a safe place. When I go to the women's shelter, I can find peace and recharge my batteries. There are rooms where I can retreat, and there are communal areas such as a kitchen, cosy lounges and playrooms for children.

Good to know:

• The women's shelter helps me if I experience physical, sexual, psychological or emotional violence at home. There I find protection and safety. I can also bring my children with me. The women's shelter is open to all women threatened by violence — regardless of their residence status or financial situation. The staff at the women's shelter are all female. It is available around the clock. The address is secret. 
• The women's shelter team advises me on social, legal and financial matters and recommends services that help me to process the violence I have experienced and develop new perspectives for the future. I receive financial advice and assistance to secure my livelihood, as well as legal advice on issues of custody and access rights. I receive help in finding a way out of violence for myself and my children. I decide for myself what I need and what steps I want to take (or not take). I also decide for myself how long I want to stay. If I want, I can take advantage of outpatient counselling after my stay at the women's shelter.
• Accommodation and counselling are free of charge.

5.   »And what if I … report the stalking now?« 

... then experts will explain my rights to me, assess the danger together with me and recommend further steps. I am no longer alone with the burdens of constant persecution, stalking, intrusive harassment, threats and terrorisation. If I seek help, I can find a way to move freely in my life again. I don't have to decide immediately. The important thing is not to act rashly, but to act wisely.

Good to know:

• Stalking is a criminal offence — it can be punished with a fine or imprisonment.
• Secure evidence: Note down any stalking, harassment, threats, dates, times, witnesses — and keep messages, letters, chats and call logs.
• In cases of cyberstalking, you can request that data be deleted.
• Seek help early — you are not alone.
• Consistently reject stalkers.

6.   »And what if I … call the helpline now?«    

... then trained counsellors will listen to me, take me seriously and show me ways forward. Especially during, between and after the holidays, when stress and conflicts can become particularly acute and apparent, it is important to remember that I am not alone — the helpline does not take a Christmas break.

Good to know:

• I can call the nationwide helpline »Violence against Women« at any time and receive help there — anonymously and free of charge. | Tel.: 116 016
• Trained counsellors are there to help me.
• I am taken seriously and valued.
• My data will not be stored or passed on.
• In my acute crisis situation, the counsellors show me ways out of the crisis, they calm me down and look for ways to provide me with local support.
• Friends and supporters of women affected by violence can also obtain information there.

7.   »And what if I … have my own money back now?«

... then I will plan my own income and expenses, and also put some money aside for holidays. I want to be free to dispose of my own money and no longer be dependent on what I am allocated after days of begging.

Good to know:

• Banks as well as financial and family advice centres can help. They will assess my situation and show me options for how I can make my own decisions about my money or my share of the income of our cohabiting partnership — even in difficult life situations. They are bound by confidentiality.
• There are several practical solutions for individual or joint accounts: from basic accounts to current accounts with seizure protection (P accounts) to digital account models that I can manage independently. 
• The consultations are completely free of charge, confidential and non-binding, and nothing will happen without my consent.

Here you can find help:

Police: 

• In case of emergency: Call 110!
• Report the offence! You can do this at any police station.
• Thuringian Police — Information page on domestic violence (in German)
• Police crime prevention by the federal states and the federal government — information page on domestic violence (in German)
   

Confidential evidence collection:

• Information website: Confidential evidence collection for victims of sexualised violence in Thuringia
• Jena University Hospital (Forensic Medicine) — confidential evidence collection: Tel.: 03641 / 939 71 97

Psychosocial support during legal proceedings:

• Psychosocial support during legal proceedings — Information website of the Free State of Thuringia (in German)
• Thuringian Coordination Centre for Psychosocial Support during Legal Proceedings — Support during criminal proceedings: Tel.: 0361 / 57353 4444

Women's shelters: 

• These women's shelters/women's refuges in Thuringia offer protection and safety. You decide whether you want to stay close to home or further away.
• Search website for women's shelters in Germany

Advice, protection and support services for victims of domestic violence:

• Helpline »Violence against Women«: 
  • Free telephone counselling: 116 016 (available around the clock in 18 languages) 
  • Online-counselling
  • Advice in Plain Language
  • https://www.hilfetelefon.de/en/
• Overview of counselling, protection and support services: 
  • in Thuringia
  • Germany-wide

Help in cases of stalking:

• Police: every office can help — even without an appointment: Tel.: 110 
• Helpline »Violence against Women«, Tel.: 116 016 (available around the clock in 18 languages)
• Weißer Ring e. V. — victim support, Tel.: 116 006 (available daily from 7 AM to 10 PM)
• Helpline »Projekt A4 — Men's counselling in Thuringia«, Tel.: 0151 / 288 156 18
• Intervention centres against domestic violence and stalking in Thuringia:
  • North Thuringia:
    Caritas Diocese of Erfurt, Eichsfeld/North Thuringia region — Domestic Violence Intervention Centre North Thuringia
    Tel.: 03631 / 6588460 | E-Mail: ist-ndh[at]caritas-bistum-erfurt.de
  • Central Thuringia:
    Evangelische Stadtmission Erfurt — Domestic violence intervention centre
    Tel.: 0361 / 5416868 | E-Mail: Interventionsstelle[at]stadtmission-erfurt.de
  • Southwest Thuringia:
    Intervention Centre »Hanna« against domestic violence and stalking, Meiningen
    Tel.: 03693 / 505211 | E-Mail: ist-hanna[at]t-online.de
  • Southeast Thuringia:
    Intervention Centre Gera/Saalfeld (GeSa) — proactive counselling for victims of domestic violence
    Tel.: 0365 / 5519027 | E-Mail: Ist-GeSa[at]web.de

Finanzielle Beratung:

• 25 debt and consumer insolvency advice centres in Thuringia
• Online advisory services offered by Sparkassen (banks), e.g.:
  https://www.sparkasse.de/pk/ratgeber/finanzplanung/hilfe-bei-finanzproblemen.html