A report can be made or submitted online, in writing, by telephone or verbally.
If you wish to submit the advert online:
There are several steps involved in filing a report online.
You can file a criminal complaint via the Internet portal. This can involve various offences.
You call up the Internet Watch via a central URL. The federal state responsible for processing the offence is selected via the location of the incident. After selecting the form for reporting hate speech online, you can enter basic personal details (e.g. personal details, mobile phone number, email address). You can then enter data on the crime scene, the time of the offence, the perpetrator and the event itself. The registration is accompanied by legal instructions (witness or accused person instructions as well as the requirement to file a criminal complaint and the notice of discontinuation).
It is possible to submit documents such as proof of purchase, receipts and/or images such as screenshots, images of damage or stolen items with the report. Especially in the case of hate and hate speech online, it is advisable to take screenshots of the posts you wish to report, as content can subsequently be changed or deleted. Please also ensure that relevant information about the publication (date, time, user name, etc.) and the context of the post are recorded in order to ensure traceable documentation.
Once the report has been submitted, you will receive an e-mail with a case number and the contact details of the office responsible for processing the report.
The relevant police department will receive and review the report. If you report a criminal offence that was committed outside Germany or in another federal state, the prosecuting authority will forward the report to the competent authority.
Only if there are no grounds for investigation will the investigation be closed by the public prosecutor's office. The chances of success vary depending on the type of offence. Basically, the more information you provide, the better the chances of the police finding the offender.
Anyone who knowingly and falsely suspects a person is committing a criminal offence. The law provides for a fine or a prison sentence of up to five years for this offence.