The German Judges Association warned that the planned law to protect women from violence could turn out to be a “paper tiger”. Judge‑association chief Sven Rebehn told the Funke media group that state leaders must move from making demands to taking action. He said the “package for greater safety and the fight against violence against women” requested by the minister‑president conference, will remain a paper tiger unless prosecutors and courts are substantially strengthened.
Under the new violence‑protection law, family courts will be able to order electronic ankle bracelets for perpetrators as quickly as possible when women affected by violence apply. The courts will also have to monitor the conditions laid out by the conference of March 5. Yet, Rebehn pointed out, family courts lack the staff to do this, and many prosecutors and criminal courts are already stretched thin.
Rebehn also targeted Hessian Minister‑President Boris Rhein (CDU), accusing him and other Union leaders of blocking the agreed rule‑of‑law pact with the federal government. He argued that merely displaying stricter laws in Berlin is insufficient if a chronically overloaded justice system cannot enforce them. The state must truly deliver on its security promises; otherwise trust in politics will continue to erode.