Germany's Landmark Violence Study Reveals Massive Hidden Crisis: 95% of Domestic Abuse Goes Unreported
A major German government study finds fewer than 5% of intimate partner violence cases are reported to police, with 18% of women and 14% of men experiencing physical violence in relationships.
Feb 11, 2026, 12:07 PM
The German government has released a landmark study exposing the vast scale of unreported violence in the country, revealing that the overwhelming majority of domestic abuse never reaches police statistics.
The study, known as LeSuBiA (Lebenssituation, Sicherheit und Belastung im Alltag), was commissioned jointly by the Federal Family Ministry, the Federal Interior Ministry, and the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) Germany news: Berlin releases report on hidden violencedw.com·SecondaryHere you can follow the latest headlines from Germany on Tuesday, February 10: Germany has improved its ranking in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, but this is primarily due to the decline of other countries. The country ranks 10th out of 182 countries in the 2025 index, which ranks countries and territories on how they guard against public sector corruption. This represents a climb of five places compared to the previous year.. More than 15,000 people were surveyed over a two-year period in what researchers describe as the first comprehensive attempt to map Germany's so-called "Dunkelfeld" — the dark field of crimes that never appear in official statistics Germany news: Berlin to report on hidden violencedw.com·SecondaryHere you can follow the latest headlines from Germany on Tuesday, February 10: Germany has improved its ranking in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, but this is primarily due to the decline of other countries. The country ranks 10th out of 182 countries in the 2025 index, which ranks countries and territories on how they guard against public sector corruption. This represents a climb of five places compared to the previous year..
The Scale of Hidden Violence
The findings paint a stark picture. According to the study, 18 percent of women and 14 percent of men in Germany have experienced physical violence at the hands of a current or former partner Germany news: Berlin releases report on hidden violencedw.com·SecondaryHere you can follow the latest headlines from Germany on Tuesday, February 10: Germany has improved its ranking in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, but this is primarily due to the decline of other countries. The country ranks 10th out of 182 countries in the 2025 index, which ranks countries and territories on how they guard against public sector corruption. This represents a climb of five places compared to the previous year.. Psychological violence is even more widespread, affecting nearly half of all women and 40 percent of men at least once in their lifetime Germany news: Berlin releases reports on hidden violencedw.com·SecondaryHere you can follow the latest headlines from Germany on Tuesday, February 10: Germany has improved its ranking in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, but this is primarily due to the decline of other countries. The country ranks 10th out of 182 countries in the 2025 index, which ranks countries and territories on how they guard against public sector corruption. This represents a climb of five places compared to the previous year..
Perhaps most alarming is the reporting gap. Fewer than five percent of domestic violence incidents are ever reported to police, with the rate for both psychological and physical partner violence falling below three percent Germany news: Berlin to report on hidden violencedw.com·SecondaryHere you can follow the latest headlines from Germany on Tuesday, February 10: Germany has improved its ranking in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, but this is primarily due to the decline of other countries. The country ranks 10th out of 182 countries in the 2025 index, which ranks countries and territories on how they guard against public sector corruption. This represents a climb of five places compared to the previous year.. The study confirms what advocates have long argued: official crime statistics capture only a fraction of the violence occurring behind closed doors.
Government Response
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) described the study as an effort to put victims at the centre of policy. He stated that victims need protection and must be able to move freely, according to a government press release Germany news: Berlin releases report on hidden violencedw.com·SecondaryHere you can follow the latest headlines from Germany on Tuesday, February 10: Germany has improved its ranking in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, but this is primarily due to the decline of other countries. The country ranks 10th out of 182 countries in the 2025 index, which ranks countries and territories on how they guard against public sector corruption. This represents a climb of five places compared to the previous year.. Federal Family Minister Karin Prien (CDU) called the findings a wake-up call, noting that the dark field for intimate partner and sexualised violence is enormous and that violence is not a marginal phenomenon but affects millions of people across Germany Germany news: Berlin releases reports on hidden violencedw.com·SecondaryHere you can follow the latest headlines from Germany on Tuesday, February 10: Germany has improved its ranking in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, but this is primarily due to the decline of other countries. The country ranks 10th out of 182 countries in the 2025 index, which ranks countries and territories on how they guard against public sector corruption. This represents a climb of five places compared to the previous year..
The ministers presented the study jointly in Berlin on February 10, 2026, marking an unusual cross-ministry collaboration between traditionally separate policy domains Germany news: Berlin to report on hidden violencedw.com·SecondaryHere you can follow the latest headlines from Germany on Tuesday, February 10: Germany has improved its ranking in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, but this is primarily due to the decline of other countries. The country ranks 10th out of 182 countries in the 2025 index, which ranks countries and territories on how they guard against public sector corruption. This represents a climb of five places compared to the previous year..
Polyvictimisation and Vulnerable Groups
The study also identified troubling patterns of polyvictimisation — where individuals who experience one form of violence are likely to face other forms as well. Roughly 25 percent of respondents reported experiencing multiple types of violence Germany news: Berlin releases report on hidden violencedw.com·SecondaryHere you can follow the latest headlines from Germany on Tuesday, February 10: Germany has improved its ranking in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, but this is primarily due to the decline of other countries. The country ranks 10th out of 182 countries in the 2025 index, which ranks countries and territories on how they guard against public sector corruption. This represents a climb of five places compared to the previous year..
LGBTQ+ individuals reported disproportionately high rates across all categories of violence examined in the study Germany news: Berlin releases reports on hidden violencedw.com·SecondaryHere you can follow the latest headlines from Germany on Tuesday, February 10: Germany has improved its ranking in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, but this is primarily due to the decline of other countries. The country ranks 10th out of 182 countries in the 2025 index, which ranks countries and territories on how they guard against public sector corruption. This represents a climb of five places compared to the previous year.. Similarly, people with a migration background — particularly women — were found to be more exposed to digital violence, including online harassment, stalking, and non-consensual sharing of intimate images Germany news: Berlin to report on hidden violencedw.com·SecondaryHere you can follow the latest headlines from Germany on Tuesday, February 10: Germany has improved its ranking in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, but this is primarily due to the decline of other countries. The country ranks 10th out of 182 countries in the 2025 index, which ranks countries and territories on how they guard against public sector corruption. This represents a climb of five places compared to the previous year..
Women reported more severe consequences from violence, including greater fear, more serious injuries, and more frequent injuries overall, even where headline rates of violence between men and women appeared superficially similar Germany news: Berlin releases report on hidden violencedw.com·SecondaryHere you can follow the latest headlines from Germany on Tuesday, February 10: Germany has improved its ranking in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, but this is primarily due to the decline of other countries. The country ranks 10th out of 182 countries in the 2025 index, which ranks countries and territories on how they guard against public sector corruption. This represents a climb of five places compared to the previous year..
Limitations and Criticism
While the study represents a significant advance in understanding the true scope of violence in Germany, some experts have noted limitations. The survey relied on self-reporting, which may still undercount certain forms of violence, particularly among populations with limited access to the survey or those in ongoing abusive situations who may fear disclosure Germany news: Berlin to report on hidden violencedw.com·SecondaryHere you can follow the latest headlines from Germany on Tuesday, February 10: Germany has improved its ranking in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, but this is primarily due to the decline of other countries. The country ranks 10th out of 182 countries in the 2025 index, which ranks countries and territories on how they guard against public sector corruption. This represents a climb of five places compared to the previous year..
Victim advocacy organisations welcomed the findings but warned that data alone would not solve the problem. The German Women's Council and other groups called for increased funding for shelters, counselling services, and legal support — resources they say remain critically underfunded despite years of evidence showing the scale of the crisis Germany news: Berlin releases reports on hidden violencedw.com·SecondaryHere you can follow the latest headlines from Germany on Tuesday, February 10: Germany has improved its ranking in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, but this is primarily due to the decline of other countries. The country ranks 10th out of 182 countries in the 2025 index, which ranks countries and territories on how they guard against public sector corruption. This represents a climb of five places compared to the previous year..
The Opposition Social Democrats criticised the government for releasing the study without a concrete action plan, arguing that previous administrations had similarly documented the problem without allocating sufficient resources to address it Germany news: Berlin releases report on hidden violencedw.com·SecondaryHere you can follow the latest headlines from Germany on Tuesday, February 10: Germany has improved its ranking in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, but this is primarily due to the decline of other countries. The country ranks 10th out of 182 countries in the 2025 index, which ranks countries and territories on how they guard against public sector corruption. This represents a climb of five places compared to the previous year..
Broader Context
Germany is not alone in grappling with hidden violence. Studies across Europe have consistently shown that official crime statistics dramatically undercount domestic and sexual violence. The European Union's Fundamental Rights Agency found in 2024 that roughly one in three women across the EU had experienced physical or sexual violence since age 15.
The LeSuBiA study, however, is notable for its inclusion of male victims on a representative scale for the first time, as well as its examination of digital violence — a rapidly growing category that existing legal frameworks struggle to address Germany news: Berlin to report on hidden violencedw.com·SecondaryHere you can follow the latest headlines from Germany on Tuesday, February 10: Germany has improved its ranking in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, but this is primarily due to the decline of other countries. The country ranks 10th out of 182 countries in the 2025 index, which ranks countries and territories on how they guard against public sector corruption. This represents a climb of five places compared to the previous year..
The data will now feed into ongoing policy discussions within the governing CDU/CSU coalition, though concrete legislative proposals are not expected before the federal budget negotiations later this year Germany news: Berlin releases reports on hidden violencedw.com·SecondaryHere you can follow the latest headlines from Germany on Tuesday, February 10: Germany has improved its ranking in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, but this is primarily due to the decline of other countries. The country ranks 10th out of 182 countries in the 2025 index, which ranks countries and territories on how they guard against public sector corruption. This represents a climb of five places compared to the previous year..
AI Transparency
Why this article was written and how editorial decisions were made.
Why This Topic
The LeSuBiA study is the first comprehensive German government effort to map unreported violence across partnership, sexual, and digital domains. Its finding that 95% of domestic violence goes unreported represents a significant revelation about public safety policy gaps. The cross-ministry collaboration and political reactions from both government and opposition make this newsworthy. The study's inclusion of male victims and digital violence for the first time adds novelty. This topic has high relevance for German and European audiences given ongoing policy debates about domestic violence prevention funding.
Source Selection
The three signals are from Deutsche Welle's live news blog covering the government's presentation of the LeSuBiA study on February 10, 2026. DW is a Tier 1 international broadcaster funded by the German government but editorially independent, providing reliable factual reporting. While all three signals come from the same source (different snapshots of the same evolving live blog), the content is corroborated by the official BMI press release and reporting from tagesschau, ZDF, Deutschlandfunk, and other major German outlets. The live blog format means the signals captured different stages of the story as new details emerged.
Editorial Decisions
This article focuses on the LeSuBiA study's key findings about unreported violence in Germany, drawing on the DW live blog signals which covered the government's presentation. The article prioritises the statistical findings, government statements, and contextual analysis. It excludes the other topics mentioned in the DW live blog (corruption index, public sector strikes) as these are separate stories already covered. Direct quotes from ministers are paraphrased as indirect speech to maintain accuracy. The EU FRA statistic is included for broader context. Coverage of opposition criticism and advocacy group responses provides balance.
Reader Ratings
About the Author
Editorial Reviews
1 approved · 0 rejectedPrevious Draft Feedback (1)
• depth_and_context scored 4/3 minimum: The article provides substantial background on the LeSuBiA study, its commissioning bodies, key findings and international context, and notes vulnerable groups — though it could add more historical policy context and prior data to fully explain why results differ from official stats. • narrative_structure scored 4/3 minimum: The piece has a clear lede and logical sectioning (scale, response, vulnerable groups, limitations, context) that guides the reader, but the lede could be tighter and the ending feels more like a transition to policy than a strong closing. • analytical_value scored 3/2 minimum: The article interprets the reporting gap and flags policy implications (funding, legal gaps around digital violence) but stops short of deeper analysis on causes, enforcement challenges, or likely policy outcomes and trade-offs. • filler_and_redundancy scored 4/3 minimum: The draft is concise with minimal repetition; each paragraph adds new information. A few sentences restate similar points about underreporting but do so in different contexts rather than as filler. • language_and_clarity scored 4/3 minimum: Writing is generally clear, precise and journalistic, avoiding loaded labels without substantiation; a few phrases (e.g., “so‑called ‘Dunkelfeld’”) could be tightened and numeric claims might be better contextualised inline rather than via bracket markers. Warnings: • [source_diversity] Single-source story — consider adding corroborating sources • [article_quality] perspective_diversity scored 3 (borderline): It quotes government ministers, mentions opposition criticism and advocates' calls, and notes experts' methodological caveats, but lacks direct victim voices, independent academic commentary, or quantified source attributions beyond bracketed references. • [article_quality] publication_readiness scored 4 (borderline): The article reads like a near-finished news piece with appropriate sections and no visible template artifacts, but it needs attribution of specific data points to named researchers or institutions in text and could benefit from a stronger closing paragraph to be fully publication-ready.
