Shedding light on unreported crime
Many crimes against queer people stay hidden. Here you can find out why it matters to report them.
What unreported crime is
Crimes the police never learn about because nobody reports them.
Why many stay silent
Many believe nothing will change, or they distrust the police.
Why reporting matters
Reports trigger investigations, help you get justice and make hate visible.
Reported and unreported crime
The police only know about the crimes that reach them. This is reported crime, and it appears in the crime statistics. Everything else remains unreported.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior assumes a high number of unreported cases for crimes against LGBTIQ* people. Many of those affected do not report crimes.
What if more people reported?
Move the slider and see how the picture changes.
Only the tip is visible. Most crimes stay unreported.
87 of 100 crimes stay unreported.
Starting value: 13 out of 100 people affected in Germany reported the most recent physical or sexual attack to the police. Source: EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), LGBTI Survey 2019, country data sheet Germany. The slider is an illustration, not a forecast.
Why many don’t report
This is what people said who did not report the most recent incident. Multiple answers were possible. Here are the three most common answers.
What’s behind the figures:
- Many believe reporting changes nothing.
- Many think the incident was not serious enough.
- Some distrust the police or fear anti-queer reactions.
These worries are real. In Schleswig-Holstein, the State Police has a central LGBTIQ* contact point. How police and community work together is explained on the page LGBTIQ* and the police. Before reporting, you can also get counselling.
Why reporting is worth it
So that crimes have consequences
Reporting triggers an investigation. It sends a clear signal: crimes like these are not simply accepted.
So that you get justice
Your sexual orientation and your gender identity are protected. By reporting, you stand up against what happened to you. For many, this helps them process what they went through.
So that hate crime becomes visible
Hate crime is recorded in its own statistics on politically motivated crime. Only what is reported shows up there. Every report is also a signal to the community.
Taking the step
Find counselling
Contact points and support services in Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Bremen, Lower Saxony and nationwide.
Secure evidence
How to document what happened.
Report it to the police
The different ways to report a case and what happens next.
LGBTIQ* and the police
What you can do if you feel you have been treated unfairly.
Figures and reports
These figures change too. That is why we only show a few values with their sources and refer you to the reports themselves.
Lagebericht zur Sicherheit von LSBTIQ* (situation report on the safety of LGBTIQ* people)
Report by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), with a section on unreported anti-queer violence.
To the report FederalLeSuBiA study on unreported crime
Study by the Federal Criminal Police Office (2026) on experiences of violence in Germany, including among LGBTIQ* people.
To the reportEvery report sheds light on unreported crime.
You decide which steps to take. We show you the options.
Affected or witnessed something?
The Help Finder shows you the next step.