- Legal Basis
- § 226 StGB
- Sentencing Range
- Imprisonment from one to ten years
- Summary
- Causing grievous bodily harm through loss of sight, hearing, speech, reproductive capacity, or a limb, or permanent disfigurement or disability
Grievous Bodily Harm (Section 226 German Criminal Code) – Criminal Defence Against Grievous Bodily Harm Charges
Grievous bodily harm is a felony requiring particularly severe injury consequences and carrying a sentence of one to ten years of imprisonment – up to fifteen years in especially serious cases. Given the severe penalties, early and expert defence is of the utmost importance. For expats in Germany, it is critical to understand that this offence is classified as a felony, requiring mandatory legal defence.
Statutory Text – Section 226 StGB
Paragraph 1: If the bodily harm results in the injured person losing sight in one or both eyes, hearing, the ability to speak, or reproductive capacity (no. 1), losing an important bodily limb or permanently losing its use (no. 2), being permanently disfigured in a significant manner, or falling into infirmity, paralysis, or mental illness or disability (no. 3), the penalty shall be imprisonment from one to ten years.
Paragraph 2: If the offender intentionally or knowingly causes one of the consequences described in paragraph 1, the penalty shall be imprisonment of not less than three years.
Paragraph 3: In less serious cases of paragraph 1, the sentence shall be imprisonment from six months to five years; in less serious cases of paragraph 2, imprisonment from one to ten years.
Elements of the Offence in Detail
Qualified injury consequences: As a result-qualified offence, grievous bodily harm requires that one of the severe consequences exhaustively listed in paragraph 1 has occurred. The offender must have committed the basic offence (simple or dangerous bodily harm), and the severe consequence must have been caused precisely by the injurious act.
Loss of sensory capacity (no. 1): Covered is the permanent loss of sight, hearing, the ability to speak, or reproductive capacity. Temporary loss does not suffice.
Loss or unusability of an important limb (no. 2): Important limbs include arms, legs, hands, and feet. Loss can occur through severance or permanent functional unusability.
Permanent disfigurement or infirmity (no. 3): Significant permanent disfigurement exists when the external appearance is sustainably impaired through scars, burns, or similar alterations.
Intent-negligence combination: In the standard case (para. 1), negligence suffices regarding the severe consequence – the offender need not have intended it but must have been able to foresee it. If the offender intentionally or knowingly caused the severe consequence (para. 2), the minimum sentence increases to three years.
Typical Methods of Commission
Grievous bodily harm occurs in violent incidents involving knives, bottles, or other dangerous objects, in brawls with severe consequences, in domestic violence with serious injuries, in assaults, and through injuries caused by firearms or vehicles.
Sentencing Range
The penalty is imprisonment from one to ten years (para. 1). For intentional or knowing causation of the severe consequence, the minimum sentence is three years (para. 2). In less serious cases, the range is reduced. As a felony, grievous bodily harm has far-reaching procedural consequences – mandatory defence counsel (Section 140 StPO) is legally required.
Typical Defence Strategies
Defence against grievous bodily harm charges first examines whether one of the qualified consequences actually exists and whether the causal connection between the act and the consequence can be proven. A self-defence situation can eliminate unlawfulness. Classification as a less serious case offers significant defence potential in sentencing. It is further examined whether the accused acted intentionally or only negligently regarding the severe consequence. Rechtsanwalt Bafteh has extensive experience defending serious violent offences and is committed to achieving the best possible defence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wann liegt eine schwere Assault vor?
Die schwere Assault (§ 226 StGB) setzt schwere dauerhafte Folgen voraus, etwa den Verlust des Sehvermögens, Gehörs, der Sprech- oder Fortpflanzungsfähigkeit, eine dauernde Entstellung, Siechtum, Lähmung oder geistige Krankheit. Sie ist ein Verbrechen.
Muss die schwere Folge gewollt sein?
Nein. Für die schwere Folge genügt Fahrlässigkeit (§ 18 StGB). Wird sie absichtlich oder wissentlich herbeigeführt, erhöht sich die Strafe.
Welche Verteidigungsansätze gibt es?
Im Vordergrund stehen Kausalität und Zurechnung der schweren Folge, die medizinische Begutachtung sowie die Frage der Notwehr.
Muss ich zur Polizei, wenn ich als Beschuldigter vorgeladen werde?
Einer rein polizeilichen Police Summons müssen Sie als Beschuldigter nicht folgen, und Sie sind nie verpflichtet, sich zur Sache zu äußern. Einer Ladung der Staatsanwaltschaft oder des Gerichts sollten Sie folgen – schweigen dürfen Sie aber auch dort.
Sollte ich vor der Akteneinsicht aussagen?
In aller Regel nein. Ohne Kenntnis der Ermittlungsakte lässt sich nicht beurteilen, welche Beweise vorliegen. Eine Einlassung sollte erst nach Akteneinsicht und in Abstimmung mit dem Verteidiger erfolgen.
Kann ein Strafverfahren eingestellt werden?
Ja. Je nach Beweislage kommen eine Einstellung mangels hinreichenden Tatverdachts (§ 170 II StPO), wegen Geringfügigkeit (§ 153 StPO) oder gegen Auflagen (§ 153a StPO) in Betracht. Nach Akteneinsicht prüfen wir die Möglichkeiten.
Summons or accusation of Grievous Bodily Harm? What matters now
Make no statement to the police at first
As an accused person you are never obliged to comment on the allegation. Anything said to the police can be used against you. Provide statements only through your defense attorney and only after reviewing the case file.
File inspection comes first
A sound defense against the allegation of Grievous Bodily Harm requires knowledge of the investigation file. Only once the available evidence is clear can we decide whether a statement is advisable or whether remaining silent is the better strategy.
Possible discontinuation of proceedings
Not every case ends in a main hearing. Depending on the evidence and any prior record, the proceedings may be discontinued for lack of sufficient suspicion (§ 170 II StPO), for triviality (§ 153 StPO) or subject to conditions (§ 153a StPO). Often a penalty order without a public trial can be achieved.
Victim-offender mediation and restitution
In many cases, victim-offender mediation or making good the damage (§ 46a StGB) can significantly reduce the sentence or enable a discontinuation. Whether this is advisable in your case is something we assess based on the file.
What we do after reviewing the file
We examine the evidence for reliability and admissibility, look for procedural errors, develop the defense strategy, negotiate with the public prosecutor on a discontinuation and represent you, if necessary, in the main hearing before the District Court or Regional Court of Bonn.
Available 24/7: +49 228 504 463 36
This information does not replace a review of the individual case. In criminal proceedings, the defence strategy depends substantially on the case file, the specific allegation and the evidence.
Why BAFTEH Strafverteidigung?
- Direct contact with your defense attorney – no intermediaries
- Available around the clock, including nights and weekends
- Fast file inspection and a clear defense strategy
- Focused exclusively on criminal law
- Defense in Bonn, Cologne and the entire region
Written by attorney Philip Bafteh, criminal defense lawyer in Bonn. Philip Bafteh publishes regularly on criminal and commercial law and defends accused persons in investigative and trial proceedings.
More about the attorney →Last updated: Juni 2026
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