- Legal Basis
- § 186 StGB
- Sentencing Range
- Imprisonment of up to one year or a fine; up to two years if committed publicly
- Summary
- Asserting or disseminating a fact about another person that is capable of degrading them or negatively affecting public opinion, unless the fact can be proven to be true
Defamation (Section 186 German Criminal Code) – Criminal Defence Against Defamation Charges
Defamation (Defamation) belongs, together with insult (Section 185 StGB) and slander (Section 187 StGB), to the offences against personal honour. It covers the assertion or dissemination of facts that are not provably true and capable of degrading the affected person, and plays a significant role in workplace conflicts, neighbourhood disputes, and on the internet. For expats in Germany, it is particularly important to understand that defamation is a criminal offence, not merely a civil tort.
Statutory Text – Section 186 StGB
Whoever asserts or disseminates a fact relating to another person that is capable of making them contemptible or degrading them in public opinion shall, unless this fact is provably true, be punished with imprisonment of up to one year or a fine, and if committed publicly, at a gathering, or by disseminating content, with imprisonment of up to two years or a fine.
Elements of the Offence in Detail
Factual assertion: Unlike insult, defamation requires a factual assertion – a statement susceptible to proof. Pure value judgments or expressions of opinion do not fall under Section 186 StGB but may constitute insult under Section 185 StGB.
Capacity to degrade: The asserted fact must be capable of making the affected person contemptible or degrading them in public opinion. The objective capacity matters, not the actual effect.
Asserting or disseminating: Asserting means presenting a fact as one’s own conviction. Disseminating means passing on a factual assertion originating from another. Sharing or forwarding on social media can also constitute dissemination.
To third parties: The statement must be made to at least one third party. Statements made to the affected person themselves fall under insult, not defamation.
Burden of proof: The distinctive feature of Section 186 StGB is the reversal of the burden of proof: the offender is punished if the asserted fact is not provably true. If the accused can demonstrate the truth of the assertion, criminal liability is excluded.
Typical Methods of Commission
Defamation arises in practice through spreading untrue claims about colleagues or superiors at work, rumours about the private lives of other persons, negative online reviews containing untrue factual assertions, accusations on social media, and allegations within clubs, communities, or neighbourhoods. The distinction between defamation and permissible criticism is frequently disputed.
Sentencing Range
Simple defamation is punished with imprisonment of up to one year or a fine. For public commission, at a gathering, or by disseminating content, the range increases to up to two years of imprisonment or a fine. Defamation is an offence prosecuted only on complaint – prosecution requires a criminal complaint by the injured party.
Typical Defence Strategies
Defence against defamation charges frequently focuses on the truth defence: if the asserted fact can be proven true, criminal liability is excluded. It is further examined whether the statement is actually a factual assertion or a (non-punishable) value judgment. Safeguarding legitimate interests (Section 193 StGB) can operate as a justification ground – for instance in cases of justified criticism of public grievances. The question of whether the criminal complaint was filed in time also offers a procedural defence approach. BAFTEH Strafverteidigung carefully analyses the evidence and develops a defence strategy that considers all relevant aspects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was ist üble Nachrede?
Nach § 186 StGB ist das Behaupten oder Verbreiten einer ehrenrührigen Tatsache über einen anderen strafbar, sofern diese Tatsache nicht erweislich wahr ist.
Worin liegt der Unterschied zur Slander?
Bei der üblen Nachrede genügt, dass die Tatsache nicht erweislich wahr ist. Die Kenntnis der Unwahrheit, die § 187 StGB (Slander) verlangt, ist nicht erforderlich.
Ist ein Strafantrag erforderlich?
Ja, es handelt sich um ein Antragsdelikt (§ 194 StGB). Praktisch bedeutsam ist, dass den Äußernden die Beweislast für die Wahrheit treffen kann.
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 Defamation? 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 Defamation 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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