How to document?

If you have suffered physical injuries, they must be treated directly by a doctor. Contact a doctor’s office you trust or the emergency room of a hospital and have the consequences of the injury documented there. Tell the person who is treating you about all the violent acts that you suffered, as this is the only way to document all the injuries. Point out any pain. Some injuries can only be seen or felt later. Do not be afraid to go back to the doctor’s office or the emergency room of a hospital and have the injury documented and treated. It is also good if the injuries are photographed. Doctors are bound by professional secrecy. All information remains in your medical record. No one may be informed without your consent.

Keep torn or soiled clothes or bedding in a paper bag or cloth bag (not a plastic bag, do not pack it airtight) in a safe place. If this is not possible in your home, give the items to a trusted person for safekeeping. Also keep other documents such as photos, records on the answering machine, emails, text messages, Whatsapp messages, voice and video messages and written documents that are an expression of the violent intent.

In general, it is helpful to document and write down everything that was done to you. Document in as much detail as possible, e.g., in cases of psychological violence and stalking. Write down in a memory log: Who was the perpetrator? What happened? How was violence done to you? What was said? When and where did it happen?

Precise and detailed documentation of the violence is important as evidence if you want to press charges now or at a later date or get divorced because of domestic violence.

In the case of sexualised violence, you can find information on the page of the Frauenennotruf Bielefeld e.V. (Women’s Emergency Hotline Bielefeld e.V.) about evidence recovery independent of the report.