The Union party caucus in the Bundestag voted against incorporating sexual criminal law into legal studies curricula. Legal policy expert Susanne Hierl (CSU) told the “Welt” (Friday edition) that while sexual criminal law is undoubtedly a sensitive and practically significant area of law, the legal education system should not be overloaded with constant new mandatory requirements. She insisted that an excellent legal education relies on methodological foundations, and she called for universities to be allowed the “freedom” to set their own focus areas rather than having their training restricted by rigid state mandates.
In contrast, legal policy expert Carmen Wegge (SPD) believes that incorporating the topic is necessary. Speaking to the newspaper, she stated that the study of law is the right starting point for improving victim protection and achieving more just jurisprudence. She argued that anyone who later works in law enforcement agencies, courts, or as a defense attorney must be familiar with this subject matter. According to Wegge, the so-called “Istanbul Convention”-the Council of Europe convention on eliminating violence against women and domestic violence-should be “mandatory material by the second examination at the latest”. Furthermore, she advocated for the lecture halls to provide a “safe learning environment” for those affected by violence.
Wegge would welcome it if the next Ministers’ Conference for Justice addressed this issue specifically and came up with a solution. She confirmed that the federal government would offer its support, adding, “However, the authority to shape the curriculum rests solely with the individual federal states”.