Prerequisites
Anyone with knowledge of a criminal offense can report it. You don't have to meet any specific requirements.
Documents required
No
Please note
If you file a criminal complaint, you are essentially a witness in the criminal proceedings. You may have to go to the relevant police station as part of the further processing of your complaint, for example so that they can interview you personally as a witness.
If you are aware of a crime but do not report it, you may be committing a criminal offense. Crimes such as murder, robbery, war crimes and high treason must be reported.
A criminal complaint cannot be withdrawn. You should therefore think carefully about whether you want to file a criminal complaint.
Online you can choose the type of crime from the following categories:
- Theft/property crime,
- Fraud,
- Damage to property
- Hate and incitement on the Internet
If you want to report another crime, select the category “other criminal complaint”.
The chances of success vary depending on the type of crime. Generally speaking, the more information you provide, the higher the chances that the police will find the perpetrator.
Be careful if you only suspect that a crime has been committed. It can be a criminal offence to falsely accuse someone. It is also a criminal offence to knowingly falsely accuse someone of a crime in order to damage his or her reputation. If you file a report using untrue information, legal action can also be taken against you. The law provides for a fine or even imprisonment for up to five years for false accusations. Therefore, it is important to make sure your information is accurate and reliable before taking legal action.
Deadlines
You do not have to meet any deadline.
Please note: Some crimes become statute-barred after a certain period of time. This means that the perpetrator can no longer be punished for the crime. You should therefore always file a criminal complaint as soon as possible.
