Help for Hate Crime, Extremist Violence and Terrorism

It doesn’t matter what you look like, where you come from, or who you love – no one has the right to threaten, insult or attack you because of who you are. This is illegal and is a criminal offence!
And yet, ill-treatment (discrimination) and politically motivated threats and intimidation frequently happen in public places, buses and trains, at work, in public offices or in sport.

Politically extreme and prejudice-motivated violence (Hate Crime) is a criminal offence wherein the offender/perpetrator targets people because of their (perceived) membership in a specific group or gender.

This includes assaults motivated by anti-Semitism, racism, right-wing extremism, anti-Gypsyism, sexism, as well as violence against homeless people, people with disabilities, women, homosexuals and transgender.

The following is a summary of the support and help services in Berlin

“AnDi”, The Berliner Anti-discrimination APP provides access to multi-language information and help for discrimination and equal treatment. You can directly report incidents of discrimination and find the appropriate support services here. To download the App (only in German).

The Berlin Anti-Discrimination and Counselling Services (only in German) provide confidential and professional support, escorting to court, and liaising with the police and other support centres on your behalf free of charge.
Counselling centres also provide assistance with initial applications for compensation.

Reporting and Documenting Incidents

The reporting and documenting of incidents of discrimination and violence/ hate crime is important because they can be recorded statistically and made visible.

• The Berliner Register – Register for documenting right-wing/racist and discriminatory incidents in Berlin
• RIAS Berlin - Documenting Anti-Semitic Incidents and Support for those Affected
• DOSTA - Documentation Centre for Anti-Gypsyism
• EOTO e.V. Each One Teach One: Anti-discrimination Archive for Black, African and Afro-diasporic People
• Anti-discrimination Network Berlin (ADNB) for Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Racism
• Inssan e.V. Network against Discrimination and Islamophobia (only in German)
• Maneo – the Gay Anti-Violence Project on Homophobia and Transphobia

Further Help

The Berlin State Commissioner for Victims of Violent Crime is also a contact person for victims (only in German).

Victims of hate crime/extremist violence can also apply for financial support. The following counselling centres can assist you:

• Support Fund for those affected by politically motivated extremist violence of the Landeskommission Berlin gegen Gewalt (Berlin State Commission against Violence, Homepage in German but information sheet in English)
• Bundesamt für Justiz (Federal Office of Justice, only in German)
• Opferfonds Cura (Cura Victim’s Fund) of the Amadeo Antionio Foundation

These counseling centers can also support you in this process.