- Legal Basis
- § 164 StGB
- Sentencing Range
- Imprisonment of up to five years or a fine
- Summary
- Falsely accusing another person of having committed a criminal offence or violating an official duty before an authority or publicly
False Accusation (Section 164 German Criminal Code) – Criminal Defence Against False Accusation Charges
False accusation protects both the person wrongly accused and the functioning of the criminal justice system. Anyone who, knowing better or recklessly, accuses another person of a criminal offence before an authority is liable to prosecution – regardless of whether an investigation is actually initiated. For expats in Germany, understanding this provision is important, as filing a complaint in bad faith can itself result in criminal prosecution.
Statutory Text – Section 164 StGB
Paragraph 1: Whoever, knowing better, accuses another person of an unlawful act or violation of an official duty before an authority, an official competent to receive complaints, a military superior, or publicly, with the intention of causing official proceedings or other official measures to be initiated or continued against them, shall be punished with imprisonment of up to five years or a fine.
Paragraph 2: The same penalty applies to whoever, with the same intention, makes a factual assertion about another person before one of the bodies named in paragraph 1 or publicly, knowing it to be untrue, that is capable of causing official proceedings or other official measures against them.
Elements of the Offence in Detail
Accusation before an authority or publicly: The accusation must be made to an authority, a competent official, or publicly. Filing a complaint with the police or prosecution is the typical case.
Knowing better: The offender must know that the accusation is untrue. A person who files a criminal complaint in good faith is not liable – even if the complaint turns out to be unfounded.
Intent to initiate proceedings: The offender must act with the intention of causing official proceedings to be initiated or continued against the falsely accused person.
Unlawful act: The alleged act must be an unlawful act within the meaning of criminal law or a violation of official duty.
Typical Methods of Commission
False accusations are made through filing a criminal complaint against a person whom the complainant knows to be innocent, fabricating a criminal offence and naming an innocent suspect, making false statements during a police interview to incriminate another person, and instrumentalising criminal proceedings in civil or family disputes. False accusations frequently arise in connection with separation conflicts, neighbourhood disputes, and insurance fraud.
Sentencing Range
False accusation is punished with imprisonment of up to five years or a fine. In less serious cases, a lower sentence may be imposed. In addition to criminal sanctions, substantial civil law damages claims by the falsely accused person may arise.
Typical Defence Strategies
Defence against false accusation charges focuses on whether the accused acted knowing better. If the accused believed in the truth of their complaint – even if mistakenly – the prerequisite of the offence is lacking. It is further examined whether the intention to cause official proceedings existed and whether the accusation was actually made to a competent body. BAFTEH Strafverteidigung carefully examines the facts and develops an individual defence strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was ist eine falsche Verdächtigung?
Nach § 164 StGB macht sich strafbar, wer einen anderen wider besseres Wissen einer rechtswidrigen Tat bei einer Behörde verdächtigt, um ein behördliches Verfahren gegen ihn herbeizuführen.
Welche Strafe droht?
Freiheitsstrafe bis zu fünf Jahren oder Geldstrafe.
Welche Verteidigungsansätze gibt es?
Im Mittelpunkt stehen der Vorsatz, der Wahrheitsgehalt der Angaben und die Abgrenzung zur straflosen Selbstbegünstigung.
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 False Accusation? 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 False Accusation 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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