- Legal Basis
- § 238 StGB
- Sentencing Range
- Imprisonment of up to three years or a fine
- Summary
- Persistently pursuing another person by repeatedly seeking proximity, contacting, or surveilling them against their will, thereby significantly impairing their lifestyle
Stalking (Section 238 German Criminal Code) – Criminal Defence Against Stalking Charges
Stalking (Nachstellung) was introduced as a separate criminal offence in 2007 and fundamentally reformed in 2017. Since the reform, it suffices that the offender’s actions are capable of significantly impairing the victim’s way of life. Actual impairment no longer needs to be proven. For expats in Germany, understanding this offence is important as cultural norms around acceptable pursuit and contact vary significantly between countries.
Statutory Text – Section 238 StGB (Excerpt)
Paragraph 1: Whoever stalks another person without authorisation in a manner capable of significantly impairing their way of life shall be punished with imprisonment of up to three years or a fine, by persistently seeking the person’s spatial proximity (no. 1), attempting to establish contact using telecommunications or other means of communication or through third parties (no. 2), misusing personal data to place orders for goods or services or causing third parties to contact the person (no. 3), threatening the person or someone close to them with harm to life, physical integrity, health, or freedom (no. 4), or performing another comparable act (no. 5).
Paragraph 2: In especially serious cases, the penalty is imprisonment from three months to five years.
Paragraph 3: If the offender causes the death of the victim or a person close to the victim, the penalty is imprisonment from one to ten years.
Elements of the Offence in Detail
Persistent stalking: Persistence requires repeated conduct showing a certain tenacity and intensity. Individual acts generally do not suffice. A recognisable pattern going beyond isolated attempts at contact must be present.
Without authorisation: The stalking must be without the consent of the affected person and without legal authority.
Capability of significant impairment: Since the 2017 reform, actual impairment of the way of life no longer needs to have occurred. It suffices that the offender’s conduct is objectively capable of significantly impairing the victim’s way of life.
Typical Methods of Commission
Stalking manifests in diverse behaviours: constantly appearing at the victim’s home or workplace, repeated unwanted calls, messages, or emails, following and surveillance, ordering goods in the victim’s name, contacting through third parties, leaving messages on the victim’s vehicle or letterbox, and cyberstalking through monitoring on social media or use of tracking software.
Sentencing Range
Stalking is punished with imprisonment of up to three years or a fine. In especially serious cases (para. 2), the penalty is imprisonment from three months to five years. If the act causes the victim’s death, the sentence is imprisonment from one to ten years. In addition to criminal penalties, contact and proximity bans may be imposed.
Typical Defence Strategies
Defence against stalking charges first examines whether the alleged conduct actually reaches the threshold of persistence and capability of significant impairment. Isolated attempts at contact or approaching a person in pursuit of a legitimate concern do not yet constitute stalking. It is further examined whether the victim may initially have consented or whether the accused’s conduct was still within socially acceptable bounds. BAFTEH Strafverteidigung comprehensively analyses the facts and develops a defence strategy that best protects the rights of the accused.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was ist Nachstellung bzw. Stalking?
Strafbar ist das beharrliche Nachstellen, das geeignet ist, die Lebensgestaltung des Opfers schwerwiegend zu beeinträchtigen (§ 238 StGB), etwa durch wiederholtes Aufsuchen, Kontaktaufnahmen oder Drohungen.
Welche Strafe droht?
Freiheitsstrafe bis zu drei Jahren oder Geldstrafe, in schwereren Fällen höher.
Welche Verteidigungsansätze gibt es?
Geprüft werden die Beharrlichkeit und die Eignung zur schwerwiegenden Beeinträchtigung sowie die Abgrenzung von zulässigem Kontakt. Häufig ist eine Einstellung erreichbar.
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 Stalking? 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 Stalking 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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