HANSESTRAFRECHT

Attorney Elger-Günther standing at the meeting room window holding a case file, looking out.

Guide

Investigation

All articles on Investigation.

Topics

InvestigationWarenbetrug: what penalty you face after a report from an online saleWhat range § 263 StGB sets for Warenbetrug, where the difference from a civil dispute lies, what Computerbetrug means and what a repayment achieves.11 August 2026 · 9 minute read
InvestigationLimitation of criminal offences: when an offence may no longer be prosecutedWhich periods § 78 StGB sets, when they begin, why any examination can interrupt them and why a period you have calculated yourself is worth little.8 August 2026 · 9 minute read
InvestigationForgery of documents: when is signing someone else's name a crime?Forgery under § 267 StGB turns on who appears to have issued a document, not on whether its contents are true. The penalties and the neighbouring offences.7 August 2026 · 8 minute read
InvestigationWithdrawing a report: why only the Strafantrag can be taken backWhy a Strafanzeige cannot be taken back, which offences need a Strafantrag, how withdrawing one works and what applies to you as a witness afterwards.6 August 2026 · 10 minute read
InvestigationPre-trial detention in Germany: what family can doSomeone close to you is in Untersuchungshaft. What counts in the first hours, who is given information, and how Haftprüfung and Haftbeschwerde fit together.6 August 2026 · 8 minute read
InvestigationNachstellung under § 238 StGB: what penalty it carries and what protection the law providesWhat § 238 StGB sets for Nachstellung, what the statute requires, why criminal and Gewaltschutz proceedings are separate, and what rights injured people have.4 August 2026 · 9 minute read
InvestigationKörperverletzung: what penalty you face if a report is made after a fightWhat penalty Körperverletzung carries, when § 223 StGB turns into § 224 StGB, what Notwehr requires and what part Strafantrag and Täter-Opfer-Ausgleich play.2 August 2026 · 10 minute read
InvestigationHausfriedensbruch: what penalty applies and when entering another's premises is an offenceWhat § 123 StGB provides for Hausfriedensbruch, when entering is unlawful, what applies in shops and restaurants, and the three month Strafantrag limit.1 August 2026 · 9 minute read
InvestigationFalsche Verdächtigung: what to do when the report against you is wrongWhat § 164 StGB means by falsche Verdächtigung, why a counter-report does not end the case against you, and which steps in the investigation really help.30 July 2026 · 10 minute read
InvestigationCaught shoplifting in Germany: the penalty and what happens nextShoplifting is prosecuted as theft under § 242 StGB. What the store detective may do, how the case proceeds, and how the shop's flat fee is treated.29 July 2026 · 8 minute read
InvestigationErpressung with intimate images: what to do now and what penalty the law providesSecure the evidence instead of deleting it, report it to police, Staatsanwaltschaft or Amtsgericht. Plus § 253 StGB and the rights of the injured person.28 July 2026 · 10 minute read
InvestigationPolice search of your home in Germany: your rightsThe police are at the door with a Durchsuchungsbeschluss. What you have to allow, what you are not obliged to do, and what matters after the search.27 July 2026 · 8 minute read
InvestigationDiscontinuation under § 153a StPO: what consent meansWhat a discontinuation against a Geldauflage under § 153a StPO is, which conditions are possible, and why your consent is a binding declaration.25 July 2026 · 7 minute read
InvestigationBeleidigung in Germany: what penalty applies and where freedom of expression endsPenalties for Beleidigung, üble Nachrede and Verleumdung, value judgment against assertion of fact, the time limit for the Strafantrag, and the Privatklage.24 July 2026 · 9 minute read
InvestigationMy child has been reported to the police: how a juvenile case worksProceedings against a young person in Germany: the age limits, what the JGG provides instead of adult penalties, and when a Jugendstrafe is possible.21 July 2026 · 8 minute read