Germany plans to toughen penalties for certain crimes — Spiegel

UA NEWS 14 May 2026 13:10

Germany has approved a bill that imposes harsher penalties for sexual offenses and robberies involving the use of so-called “knockout drops.” The initiative aims to strengthen protections for victims and combat such crimes.

Spiegel reported this on May 14.

The bill was supported by the Cabinet of Ministers at the request of Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig.

Under the initiative, anyone who commits a sexual offense or robbery using such substances would face a minimum of five years in prison. Currently, the minimum sentence for such acts is three years.

Hubig emphasized that the use of “knockout drops” is a particularly insidious method of committing a crime, as attackers secretly add substances to their victims’ drinks, rendering them unable to resist. According to her, these crimes occur both in bars and clubs and in private homes, and victims often do not realize in time that they have become the target of an attack.

“Criminals secretly slip substances into their victims’ drinks to deliberately deprive them of the ability to defend themselves. The crime scenes include bars and clubs, as well as people’s own homes. Victims often have no chance to notice the attack and defend themselves,” she said.

The impetus for the changes was a 2024 ruling by the German Federal Court, which determined that such substances cannot automatically be considered “dangerous weapons” under criminal law. As a result, such cases were not classified as particularly serious crimes.

The new bill aims to equate the use of dangerous substances with the use of weapons or other dangerous instruments during a robbery or sexual assault. The initiative was supported by the German Association of Judges, though they emphasized that harsher sentences alone are not enough. The bill must now be considered by the Bundestag.