Vtitel	Preparing yourself
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VL1	Emergency bag
VL2	Safety plan
VL3	What to do when in danger
VL4	Police
VL5	Where to go when you leave
VL6	Where to get help
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V2

Under the Protection against Violence Law (Gewaltschutzgesetz)
You can have the abuser evicted from your residence, etc., and prohibit him from coming in contact with you.
For more information on the subject, see the chapter on »Protection Laws« (Gewaltschutz)

If you fear that your man/husband might get violent (again), you should always be
prepared to flee.
Here are some things you can do now to prepare:

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V3

Why have an »emergency bag«?
Experience has shown that some abusers go into such a rage after a separation that they destroy documents. Therefore, you should try to take the most important documents with you or to copy them.

Pack an »emergency bag« with the most important things and deposit it at a safe place, e.g., at friends, neighbours, work.

V4

Emergency bag
•  Identification / passport and the children's travel papers
•  citizenship identification, if applicable
•..birth certificates / marriage certificate
•..health insurance card for you and the children
•..lease agreement, work contract
•  pension and social welfare documents, as well as notifications from the employment office
•..child custody or protection orders, if applicable
•  copies of bank documents, savings account books, securities
•  jewellery
•  everything needed for a couple of days:
  clothes, hygiene products, school supplies, favourite toys, medicine
•  spare keys to the residence and car
•..address book
•  mementos: diaries, photos, things dear to you

This list is included in a »safety plan« that you can print out, or you should start taking notes now!
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V5

Safety plan

Make arrangements with your neighbours or friends to be prepared for emergency situations:
Ask them to call the police and/or to provide you and the children temporary shelter at their residences.

Write down the telephone numbers of the police, counselling centres, and women's shelters on a slip of paper, which you should keep with you, but well hidden at all times (e.g. in your purse or wallet).

Here is a form sheet for a personal safety plan. Print it out. It will help you with your preparations and subsequent actions.

open safety plan
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V6

What to do when in danger

If he abuses you once again:
Go to a safe place!
Lock yourself in a room with a telephone and call the police immediately:

Telephone no.: 112 (European police emergency hotline)
Telephone no.: 110 (in Germany)

Leave the apartment as fast as possible. Run to pre-informed neighbours, or flee to public establishments like restaurants or shops.
Call the police from there and tell them where you are. Ask other people for protection and help.

If it is not possible for you to escape,
do not cry "Help!" ("Hilfe!"), but
"Fire!" ("Feuer!"),
which is more likely to elicit a reaction from neighbours and passers-by.
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V7

When the police arrive

Tell the police what happened, as well as why you are afraid. Make sure to tell them about previous abuse. The police ought to question you and the man separately. They will also secure evidence and take photographs.

• They can evict the abuser from the premises for several days or take him into police custody.

• The police can help you to get safely away from the residence and bring you to a women's shelter.

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V9

Where to go when you leave?

Vx9.1
Friends / relatives (5)

Vx9.2
New apartment / residence (1)

Vx9.3
Women's shelter (2)

Vx9.4
Safe house / apartment (3)

Vx9.5
Order to vacate (4)

(Reihenfolge der Links + Texte anders)
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V10

Friends / relatives

There is little point in fleeing to friends or relatives if the abuser knows their addresses.
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V11

New apartment / residence

If it is possible for you to lease an apartment/home of your own without your husband's knowledge, you'll need attentive neighbours or friends who'll support you there during a very dangerous time. However, you will be primarily dependent on yourself.
Seek the support of a specialised counselling center.
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V12

Order to vacate (Wegweisung)

The police can force the abuser to leave the residence.

The German Protection against Violence Law (Gewaltschutzgesetz) allows any victim of domestic violence to evict an abuser from their premises by court order (see the chapter »Protection Laws« »Gewaltschutz«). The police may also enforce an eviction until a court order can be carried out.

Nevertheless, in dangerous situations you and your children should leave your residence and move to a safer accommodation (such as a women's shelter).

The following factors indicate that an abuser is particularly dangerous:
possession of firearms, threats of suicide or murder, alcohol and drug consumption, pathological jealousy.
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V13

Women's shelter (Frauenhaus)

Women's shelters offer protected, provisional housing for women of all nationalities with or without children.
You can reach them day or night.
There are approximately 400 women's shelters in Germany - in other words, not every town has one.

In general, you and your children will be given one room (without board).

A women's shelter offers comprehensive counselling and support. If necessary, they can provide someone to accompany you to the authorities. There are often special offers for children.
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V14

Costs

Accommodation is free of charge at some women's shelters. However, most require a nominal fee per person per day. In certain cases, the social welfare office will take over the costs.
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V15

Restrictions

Women who are addicted to drugs, alcohol and medication, as well as those who are mentally ill, will not be admitted. Only a few women's shelters are equipped to accommodate people with handicaps.

Many women's shelters only admit boys up to a certain age. However, they will help you find accommodation for your older boys. At some locations, women with older sons can move into a safe house/apartment (Zufluchtswohnung).
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V16

Safe houses/apartments (Zufluchtswohnungen)

These are shared or individual living quarters for the protection of women and children threatened by violence.
Women pay the rent themselves. The social welfare office pays the rent for women on low incomes.

Female staff offer comprehensive counselling and support. However, safe houses/ apartments cannot offer the same extent of protection found at women's shelters. Some of the addresses are not anonymous. Some have an age limit for male children.
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V17

Where to get help

Many things will be easier if you have the telephone numbers ready before you leave your partner:

• women's shelters
• intervention agencies
• women's counselling centres
• district court
• the social welfare office and youth welfare office

For safety reasons, the addresses of women's shelters must remain confidential. If you want to go to one, call them beforehand and you will be picked up at a meeting place.