Can It Really Protect Women From Violence?

Since May, family courts have been able to order perpetrators of violence to wear electronic ankle monitors. Already, 145 men are being monitored in this way – by a single woman: Alma Friedrichs, head of the Joint Electronic Monitoring Center of the German states (GÜL). We asked her: Can a small tracking device really protect women from domestic violence and femicide?

In her office in Weiterstadt, Hesse, a woman monitors offenders wearing electronic ankle bracelets around the clock: Alma Friedrichs, head of the Joint Electronic Monitoring Center of the German states (GÜL). “Those being monitored are mostly sex offenders or serious violent offenders who are still considered dangerous after their release from prison,” Friedrichs explains to BRIGITTE. As soon as a man crosses his personal restricted zone, the alarm goes off – and Friedrichs or one of her staff members picks up the phone. “As a rule, we call the wearer directly on a mobile phone we provide and ask him to leave the area immediately. So far, this has been very well received; we’ve had very few violations.”

In May 2026, the law on protection against violence was reformed: Electronic ankle bracelets can now be used even in high-risk cases of domestic violence. “The law will come into force on July 1, 2027. However, in some federal states, the new technology is already being used successfully in the area of ​​domestic violence under police laws,” reports Friedrichs. 

145 men are already wearing ankle monitors.

Currently, around 145 people are wearing ankle monitors – and they are all being monitored by Alma Friedrichs and her team. They constantly keep track of where each man is. Some have to wear the ankle monitor indefinitely. “This is regularly reviewed by the courts,” explains Friedrichs. “We at GÜL have been doing this work since 2012, but so far primarily within the framework of probation supervision, that is, after the completion of a long prison sentence,” she explains. 

The monitoring station of the GÜL (Guardianship Unit) is staffed 24/7; at least one social worker from Friedrich’s team is always on duty. “So far, fixed exclusion zones such as playgrounds or the residential areas of the person being protected have usually been defined. When someone enters these zones, the wristband vibrates, and the monitored person immediately notices that they have triggered an alarm.” 

Women must wear a receiver.

The fact that we can now use this technology specifically in cases of domestic violence completely changes the dynamics. The new element is the mobile zone: The woman being protected wears a receiver that sounds an alarm as soon as the perpetrator gets too close. The GÜL team then calls the victim and stays on the phone until she is safe, while simultaneously informing the police.

“This is a huge step for victim protection,” says Alma Friedrichs. The ankle monitor is more than just technology. “It’s the promise of having someone by your side in an emergency who will act immediately.” Spain serves as a model for the stricter legislation. Since the introduction of electronic ankle monitors there in 2009, no monitored victim of domestic violence has been killed. While there is no “miracle cure” in the fight against domestic violence, it is important to consistently signal to victims that they are on your side, explained Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig. 

What does the ankle monitor mean for the perpetrators?

“Naturally, enthusiasm is somewhat limited,” says Alma Friedrichs. “It’s a limitation; the device needs to be charged daily, and you have to sleep with it. But there’s no constant monitoring.” Monitoring only occurs “on a case-by-case basis,” meaning when a violation occurs. The social worker particularly praises the positive psychological effect on the women – even though the responsibility now lies with them to always carry a mobile device that also needs to be charged regularly. 

“Even an ankle monitor can’t guarantee 100% safety,” Friedrichs admits. “But we have a good chance of recognizing potential dangers in time and reacting as quickly as possible. We don’t leave the women alone in that moment: when the alarm goes off, we call them immediately and stay on the phone until they are safe, while simultaneously notifying the police. Therefore, we can not only send help but also warn the women and guide them in the right direction or to a safe place.”

What do affected women say?

But not everyone is celebrating the new “IT bodyguard” as a success. Sabrina* from Bavaria, herself a victim of post-separation violence, who shared her story with BRIGITTE, is skeptical: “It’s nothing more than a technological showcase that masks the fact that in German courtrooms, ‘access at any cost’ still takes precedence over the protection of mother and child,” she laments to BRIGITTE. For her, no GPS tracker in the world is of any use if authorities ignore reality and fail to enforce protective rights. Far too often, she says, there is a reversal of perpetrator and victim roles in courtrooms – as she has experienced herself: “When physical assaults are classified as strategic lies and the mother seeking protection is labeled a ‘child manipulator’ or ‘aggressor,’ every reform is doomed to failure.” 

Sabrina makes it clear: “There are already binding regulations for protective measures and restrictions on contact. The problem is their lack of enforcement. As long as existing protective rights are ignored, even the ankle monitor remains merely a technical accessory in a system that promotes separation violence to the highest degree.”

In Germany, a man kills his (ex-)partner every two to three days.

There is also political resistance. Dr. Lena Gumnior of the Green Party describes the introduction of electronic ankle monitors as, at best, a “beginning.” Referring to the statistics on violence against women—every two to three days, a man kills his (ex-)partner in Germany—the member of parliament spoke of a “security crisis in this country.” She stated that ankle monitors could be a targeted protective measure, but not a panacea. “True equality will only be achieved when there is no more violence against women.”