Germany

In January 2021, amendments to the Act Governing Social Compensation Law of 12 December 2019 came into force to improve the regulation of outpatient trauma clinics. In particular, the Law aims to establish a statutory entitlement for treatment in such clinics, including providing immediate psychological assistance for victims of crime. In August 2021, a new Guideline on the payment of hardship benefits for victims of terrorist and extremist attacks entered into force that improves transparency for victims.   

In April 2021, the Act on Combating Right-Wing Extremism and Hate Crime, adopted by the German Federal Parliament, came into force. The act includes amendments to various federal laws. In particular, it extends the sentencing provision on aggravating circumstances of the German Criminal Code [Section 46 (2)StGB] and explicitly mentions anti-Semitic motives as an example of motives evidencing contempt for humanity.  

In September 2021, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ), the Association of Counselling Centres for Victims of Right-wing, Racist and Anti-Semitic Violence (VBRG), and ODIHR co-organized a two-day virtual event as part of ODIHR's hate crime victim support project. The aim of the event was to present the German support system, especially for persons affected by hate crime, to participants from various European countries. The project was funded by the EU Commission and the German Federal Foreign Office, and aimed to facilitate an exchange of best practices and the development of new strategies to better support the victims of hate crime.  

In October 2021, the Federal Victims' Commissioner hosted a workshop to improve support for and enhance networking between initiatives and organizations that care for victims of right-wing violence. The aim of the workshop was to enable victim (protection) commissioners and central contact points of the Länder to strengthen their networking with the counselling centres for victims of right-wing violence and the centres for democracy. 

The Federal Ministry of Justice continued funding a project of the German Institute for Human Rights (DIMR), aimed at improving the prosecution of racist crimes and structures of co-operation between various actors (the justice system, public prosecutor's office, police, and victim protection associations, among others). It consists of pilot projects in three Länder and is intended to last three years.