Evaluation of a prevention of terrorism act (“Gesetz zur Verfolgung der Vorbereitung schwerer staatsgefährdender Gewalttaten” – GVVG)

Project date range: 2011 – 2012
Funding institution: Federal Ministry of Justice
Cooperation with Professor Thomas Feltes (University of Bochum)

Description

In a joint effort of KrimZ and colleagues of the University of Bochum, a major piece of the more recent German anti-terrorism legislation was evaluated. The “Gesetz zur Verfolgung der Vorbereitung schwerer staatsgefährdender Gewalttaten” (GVVG) enacted in 2009 had introduced three new crimes: preparation of a serious violent offence endangering the state (s. 89a StGB), establishing contacts for the purpose of committing a serious violent offence endangering the state (s. 89b StGB), and encouraging the commission of a serious violent offence endangering the state (s. 91 StGB). The purpose of this act was twofold. First, an effective prosecution of individual offenders preparing terrorist attacks while not acting as members of a terrorist organisation was intended. Second, this legislation implemented the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism.

The evaluation study described how the new statutes were applied by the criminal justice system. Moreover it identified indicators for the suitability of the new provisions to counter international terrorism. Finally, the study collected practitioners’ statements on the acceptance of this legislation and on its perceived usefulness for police, prosecution and court practice.

Methods

Questionnaire surveys, qualitative interviews, case file analyses, review of legal cases and of the literature.

Publication

Oehmichen, Anna & Klukkert, Astrid (2012). Evaluation des Gesetzes zur Verfolgung der Vorbereitung von schweren staatsgefährdenden Gewalttaten (GVVG): Endbericht. Wiesbaden [u.a.]: KrimZ; Ruhr-Universität Bochum. [Online-publication]