The reporting procedure
Here is how the handling of your report proceeds, step by step.
1. Submit a report
You choose one of three reporting channels: the written form, the AI-assisted phone line, or a request for an in-person meeting. With the written channel, you immediately receive a random case ID and set a password.
2. Acknowledgement within 7 days
The reporting office acknowledges receipt of your report within seven days (§ 17 (1) no. 1 HinSchG). You can check the status at any time in the case portal.
3. Review and processing
The ombuds office reviews the plausibility of the report, may ask follow-up questions via the confidential message channel if needed, and initiates appropriate follow-up measures.
4. Feedback within 3 months
You will receive feedback on the outcome of the review and the follow-up measures taken or planned no later than three months after the report was received (§ 17 (1) no. 4 HinSchG). For complex cases, we will inform you of the interim status.
5. Conclusion and retention
After conclusion of the proceedings, your case remains fully documented for three years (§ 11 (5) HinSchG) and is then automatically and irrevocably deleted.
Which channel is right for you?
Concerns are usually resolved fastest where they arise. We therefore recommend that you contact this internal reporting office first. Your identity is protected by law here, you can remain anonymous, and you receive firm responses within the statutory deadlines.
Regardless of this, you are always free to turn to the external reporting office of the Federal Government at the Federal Office of Justice. The choice is entirely yours, and using this internal office is not a precondition.
To the external reporting office of the Federal Office of Justice