Sexuality and Crime: The Victims of Sexual Offenses

The range of sexual offenses against the person is wide. There are many ways to violate someone’s right to sexual self-determination. The provisions in the German Penal Code that sanction sexual assault and any other offense of a sexual nature committed upon another person cover many areas such as rape, assault with intent to rape, sexual harassment, acts of indecency, indecent exposure, sexual abuse of minors, incest, buggery, pornography, procuring of minors, prostitution, and the trafficking in persons for the purpose of sexual exploitation. In Germany, sexual offenses are proscribed under chapter 13, sections 174-184 of the Penal Code (StGB). chapter 13 is subtitled “offenses against the right of sexual self-determination.” To cover fully the range of sexual abuse, misconduct, and indecent assault from the perspective of victim’s protection and compensation, the provisions in the Penal Code can be classified as follows: