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

If you have become aware of a crime, whether you yourself have been harmed or have witnessed a crime, you can file a police report online.

You can file a criminal complaint whether you are injured, can witness a crime, or are an uninvolved party. Fast processing is encouraged by selecting the state in which the event occurred. You can file a report informally, by phone, online and at the police station, either anonymously or by providing your contact information. The online report is to be considered an additional offer.

The criminal complaint focuses on the notification of a criminal offense. A distinction is made between different groups of offenses.

Please note that criminal offenses from the following offense groups can be reported online: Theft/Property Crime, Fraud, Property Damage, and Hate and Incitement on the Internet. Other offenses can be reported via the "other criminal complaint" category. To promote the fastest possible processing, please select an appropriate offense.

When you file a criminal complaint, you are a witness in the criminal proceedings. Regardless of your online complaint, it may be necessary to summon you to the police station responsible for further processing, for example, to conduct a personal interview with you as a witness.

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

If applicable: supporting documents (purchase receipts, receipts or pictures)

Any person who has knowledge of a crime can file a complaint. You do not have to meet any specific requirements.

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An ad can be made or submitted online, in writing, by phone, or verbally.

If you want to submit the ad online:

Filing a criminal complaint online involves several steps.

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

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

The relevant police department will receive the report and examine it. If you file a report of a crime that was committed outside Germany or in another federal state, the law enforcement agency will forward the report to the competent authority.

Only if there are no investigative leads whatsoever will the public prosecutor's office discontinue the preliminary proceedings. The chances of success differ depending on the type of crime. Basically, the more information you provide, the higher the chances that the police will find the perpetrator.
Anyone who knowingly and falsely suspects a person commits a criminal offense. The law provides for a fine or imprisonment of up to five years for this.

After receipt of the online advertisement, you will receive an e-mail confirmation with a transaction number. The processing time depends on various factors. A time limit is not possible.

There is no time limit to be observed. However, you should observe the respective statute of limitations, because criminal offenses usually become time-barred after a certain period of time.

If you file a complaint, you are generally a witness in the criminal proceedings. It may be necessary to summon you to the police station responsible for this in the course of the further processing of your report, for example, in order to be able to conduct a witness interview with you personally.

Anyone who has knowledge of a criminal act but does not report it may be liable to prosecution. No special formal requirements apply. Caution is advised if the crime is suspected. Defamation and false suspicion are punishable by law; in this case, the person who makes the report must expect legal action against him or herself. In the case of crimes such as murder, robbery, war crimes and high treason, there is a duty to report.

A criminal complaint cannot be withdrawn. You should therefore think carefully about whether you want to file a criminal complaint. According to the principle of legality, the authorities are then obliged to investigate.

inapplicable

• Service of the police to report a crime
  • Recording of an online report
  • Recording of a property crime
  • Recording of damage to property
  • Recording of a fraud offense
  • Reporting of hate and agitation on the net
  • Reporting of criminal activity (on the Internet)
  • Reporting of any other criminal offense
  • Obtain 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 state in which the crime occurred

Each police department