Social affairs - No violence protection housing for men in Thuringia
If men in Thuringia experience violence from their partner and have to leave their home at short notice, they have to go to other federal states for a place in a shelter. The reason: there is still no shelter for men in Thuringia. In the past, those affected have therefore mainly been accommodated in Saxony, said Thuringian Equal Opportunities Commissioner Gabi Ohler.
It remains to be seen whether this situation will improve in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, there is a current red-red-green draft law to amend the Thuringian Equal Opportunities Promotion Act, which provides for the creation of protective facilities for men. This bill is currently being discussed in the state parliament, said Ohler.
Small number of victims so far
According to Ohler, however, the need for violence protection homes for men is manageable. In recent years, a single-digit number of men have been accommodated in such apartments outside Thuringia. When violence occurs in partnerships, women are the victims in the vast majority of cases. Experience shows that around twenty percent of those affected by intimate partner violence are men, said Ohler. In the remaining 80 percent of cases, the violence is directed against women.
Violence shelters for women in almost all districts
This finding, which has remained relatively constant for years, is one reason why there are no violence shelters for men in Thuringia, but there are some for women. According to the Thuringian Ministry of Social Affairs, such services exist once in almost all districts and independent cities. There is a specialized counselling project called A4 in Jena for men affected by partner violence.
Difficult data basis
It is not possible to quantify how many men in Thuringia have recently been victims of intimate partner violence. It is also not possible to say whether the recorded figures have really increased recently, as the statistical survey was changed from 2020 to 2021, said Ohler. In addition, the data recorded by the police are incoming statistics.
All cases in which men have filed a complaint are registered. "It is not uncommon for these to be counter-reports that turn out to be false accusations during the course of the proceedings or acts of self-defense that would not have taken place without the previous male violence," said Ohler. "Nevertheless, cases of violence by female partners or ex-partners against men must of course be prosecuted in the same way as violence by partners or ex-partners against women."
Shift from the dark to the bright field
Another reason why it is currently impossible to say for certain whether there has recently been more violence against men in relationships is the increasing removal of taboos surrounding the topic, said Ohler. This development is also driven by the fact that lobbying and counselling organizations for men who have experienced intimate partner violence have now been created throughout Germany. This has created additional public awareness of the issue, which means that today such acts are also becoming known, which previously existed but had never been registered. There is therefore an increasing "shift from the dark to the bright field", said Ohler.
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- Despite the lack of violence protection housing for men in Erfurt, some have sought help in neighboring Saxony due to Thuringia's absence of such facilities.
- Gabi Ohler, the Thuringian Equal Opportunities Commissioner, highlighted that while the need for shelters for men is manageable, violence against women remains the predominant issue, with around 20% of victims being men.
- In contrast to Thuringia, women in Saxony and other districts in Thuringia have access to a variety of violence shelters, aiding them in seeking refuge from abusive relationships.
- In light of the growing awareness and advocacy for men who have experienced intimate partner violence, the true extent of such occurrences in Thuringia may become more apparent, shifting them from the "dark field" to the "bright field."
Source: www.stern.de
