“Most murders happen during separation”

Created: 11/28/2022 11:59 am

Many listeners and a few men came to the lecture in the Aufkirchen church.

© Vroni Vogel

Victim protection, the critical examination of problematic role attributions and offers of help to free oneself from the spiral of violence: In her lecture on the UN memorial day "No to violence against women and girls" on Friday evening, Chief Inspector Marita Fuchs addressed many topics.

The diocesan board of the German Catholic Women's Community (kfd) invited to the event in the St. Johann Baptist Church in Aufkirchen.

Aufkirchen – Fuchs is the representative for crime victims and is therefore responsible for all genders.

This time, however, her lecture was specifically about violence against women.

On the outside, "a nice person and a caring man, but behind the four walls, that's where it all happens": violent criminals often know very well how to keep up the facade.

"They present themselves so well, and the authorities may even believe them," commented one listener on the strategies of the violent males.

It was perfidious how self-doubt was deliberately fueled in the woman concerned so that she would not defend herself, said Fuchs.

Women in a violent relationship have "crazy fears", for example that their children will be taken away from them and that they will find themselves in an existential situation without money.

It is often patterns of control and power that the victims are exposed to.

They would be intimidated with social isolation, humiliation and economic pressure.

The mental strain is great.

"Many go back again," reported the police officer from practice.

This ambivalence is not unusual.

Specialist departments and the police are important contact points for empowering women, repeatedly making offers of help and showing the "light at the end of the tunnel".

Triple women's power for victim protection (from left): Chief Inspector Marita Fuchs, Uschi Gröppmair from the kfd diocesan board and Steffi Irmscher-Grothen from the Erdinger women's shelter.

© Vroni Vogel

A temporary police ban on contact is a helpful first step in order to help those affected promptly: “The police can give the woman air.” An application for protection against violence can also be made, which must be made credible in court.

"The most dangerous situation is separation, that's where most murders happen," said the chief inspector.

Then the world collapses for the man and he no longer has anyone over whom he can exercise power.

Therefore, the individual risk assessment is crucial to counteract "the outbreak of violence".

Moving away and changing the name - comparable to witness protection - remains the only alternative in some cases.

Violence is carried out on many levels.

Fuchs also called forced prostitution and honor killing.

These are alarming numbers, which Uschi Gröppmair from the kfd diocesan board pointed out.

According to a recent study by the Federal Criminal Police Office, 113 women in Germany were killed by their ex-partners or partners in 2021 and more than 115,000 women became victims of intimate partner violence.

The latter number is about the incidents reported to the police, the number of unreported cases is much higher.

Statistically speaking, every third woman is affected by violence, Fuchs added.

The chief inspector also took up the question of prevention.

Old role assignments would have to be broken up in education: the girl who always has to be pretty and well-behaved;

the boy who shouldn't cry.

Children should be allowed to say no.

It is important to strengthen their self-confidence and to protect them from attacks.

This also includes the "Schlabberbussi" urged on by relatives.

It is important to listen to the children, to pay attention to them and to encourage them.

"Courage makes you strong": This is also the name of a prevention project for pre-school and primary school age.

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Fuchs also referred to the enormous voluntary work that is being done in the area of ​​victim protection.

Good financial resources for all important contact points are important and desirable.

Fuchs went into the valuable work of the women's shelters.

That evening, a collection was made in the Aufkirchen church for the Erdinger women's shelter - more than 300 euros were collected, which Steffi Irmscher-Grothen, head of the women's area, gratefully accepted: "Every cent goes to us", for example for meal vouchers, she emphasized.

The women's shelter is currently "fully occupied" with four family rooms and one single room.

Women and children would be "intensively accompanied" and receive psychosocial care.

"We want to safely dismiss the women," says Irmscher-Grothen.

Vroni Vogel