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§ Section 158 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (StPO) - Criminal complaint, criminal complaint

If you have become aware of a criminal offense, regardless of whether you have been harmed yourself or have witnessed a crime, you can report it to the police online.

This will inform the law enforcement authorities (police and public prosecutor's office) about the event and the course of events.

You can file a criminal complaint regardless of whether you have been injured, can testify to a criminal offense or are uninvolved. Fast processing is promoted by selecting the federal state in which the incident took place. You can file a report informally, by telephone, online and at the police station, either anonymously or by providing your contact details. The online report is an additional service.

Reporting a criminal offense is the main focus. A distinction is made between different offense groups.

Please note that offenses from the following offense groups can be reported online: Theft/property crime, fraud, damage to property and hate and incitement to hatred on the Internet. Other criminal offenses can be reported via the category "other criminal charges". Please select a suitable offense to ensure that your report is processed as quickly as possible.

When you file a report, you are a witness in the criminal proceedings. Regardless of your online report, it may be necessary to summon you to the relevant police station for further processing, for example in order to be able to interview you in person.

It is also possible to attach photos, receipts or documents to the report as electronic attachments. This option should be used in particular to send evidence (proof of purchase, receipts or pictures of stolen items, damaged items or screenshots of screen content) to the police with the report.

If applicable: evidence (proof of purchase, receipts or pictures)

Anyone who has knowledge of a criminal offense can file a complaint. You do not have to meet any specific requirements.

none

A report can be submitted online, in writing, by telephone or verbally.

If you wish to submit the advertisement online:

There are several steps involved in filing a report online.

You can file a criminal complaint via the Internet portal. This can involve various offenses.

You access the Internet portal via a central URL. The federal state responsible for processing is selected via the location of the incident. After selecting the appropriate offense-oriented form for filing a report, you can provide basic information about yourself (e.g. personal details, cell phone number, email address). You can then enter data on the crime scene, the time of the crime, the perpetrator and the event itself. The recording is accompanied by legal instructions (witness and accused person instructions as well as the requirement to file a criminal complaint and the notice of discontinuation).
It is possible to submit documents such as proof of purchase, receipts and/or images such as screenshots, images of damage or stolen items with the report.
Once the report has been submitted, you will receive an e-mail with a case number and the contact details of the office responsible for processing the report.

The relevant police department will receive the report and check it. If you report a crime that was committed outside Germany or in another federal state, the prosecuting authority will forward the report to the competent authority.

Only if there are no grounds for investigation will the investigation be closed by the public prosecutor's office. The chances of success vary depending on the type of offense. Basically, the more information you provide, the better the chances of the police finding the perpetrator.
Anyone who knowingly and falsely suspects a person is committing a criminal offense. The law provides for a fine or a prison sentence of up to five years.

After receipt of the online notification, you will receive an e-mail confirmation with a process number. The processing time depends on various factors. It is not possible to set a time limit.

There is no deadline to comply with. However, you should observe the respective limitation periods, as criminal offenses usually expire after a certain period of time.

not applicable

• Police service for reporting a criminal offense
  • Recording an online report
  • Recording a property crime
  • Recording of damage to property
  • Recording a fraud offense
  • Reporting hate speech and incitement to hatred online
  • Reporting a criminal offense (on the Internet)
  • Reporting another criminal offense
  • Receive information about online reporting
  • Criminal complaint can be made on site or online
  • Service can be provided with a contact address
• Responsible: Police in the respective federal state in which the crime occurred

every police station