Our online advice is aimed at those affected by rightwing violence and racial discrimination. All relatives, friends and supporters of victims, witnesses of rightwing attacks and people who are confronted with such acts in their daily work are also welcome to contact the online counselling service.

Right-wing attacks are committed for various motives, namely as a result of hostility towards political opponents or people with alternative lifestyles, as well as hostility, devaluation and rejection of certain social groups. This includes attacks for the following reasons:

• Racism, i.e. hostility towards people (who are thought to be) of non-German origin.
• Antisemitism, i.e. hostility towards (those who are thought to be) Jews,
• Social Darwinism, i.e. hostility against (those who are thought to be) homeless and other socially excluded people and against people with (or who are perceived by others as having) illnesses and/or disabilities,
• LGBTIQ hostility, i.e. hostility against (those who are thought to be) lesbians, homosexuals and/or against people who do not conform to the socially dominant gender roles.

We speak of discrimination when disadvantages, exclusion or harassment occur because of fundamental affiliations or attributions. These include, for example, racist stereotyping, language, discrimination based on origin, sexual identity, but also age, gender, religion/belief as well as physical, mental and emotional abilities.
The anti-discrimination counselling service of “Opferperspektive” specializes in the phenomenon of racial discrimination. We support people in defending themselves against discrimination and claiming their rights. We offer a safe space to talk about your experience and to gain clarity about your own concerns. If desired, we can work together to identify possible courses of action and support you in the next action steps.
Possible courses of action may include:
securing circumstantial evidence, writing a letter of complaint, obtaining statements, accompanying individuals to mediation meetings, but also providing information on and support with legal action.

What we discuss during the consultation, and which steps we take together is entirely up to the people who turn to us. Some people just need more detailed information, others are looking for support in processing what they have experienced. They may fear further threats or need legal support or financial help due to material damage caused by an attack. Furthermore, others seek advice, support and accompaniment for the entire process that a right-wing attack entails, from the question of how appropriate it is to report it to the police to accompaniment to court proceedings and the enforcement of damages. Concerns about a counteraccusation by the right-wingers or the desire to make the attack public may also be a reason to seek counselling.

At the beginning of the consultation, we clarify exactly what has happened and what questions or worries the people concerned have. During longer processes, we repeatedly check whether goals and wishes may have changed.

We can think of a lot of good reasons why people choose online advice: Some of those affected may prefer to use the internet and prefer to write rather than speak. Or they don’t have time to visit a consultation center or to make an appointment for a consultation. Perhaps there is uncertainty as to whether one’s concern is appropriate for the consultation center and will be taken seriously. Other people affected want to test what the consultation center has to offer without obligation, or they only have a few short questions. Perhaps there was a self-defense situation, and now the fear of facing criminal charges of your own is a good reason to seek advice anonymously. We think there are many possible good reasons why people choose online counselling.
However, it is possible to change the form of advice at any time if desired. All online counsellors from “Opferperspektive” also offer advice over the phone, video consultation and face-to-face meetings. If necessary, they can also accompany you to the police, authorities, lawyers or to court.

We offer online consultations through three ways.

Mobile chat counseling is possible via the “Support Compass” messenger. After registering, a specialized consultation center can be searched for using the zip code. “Opferperspektive” can be found under 14473. Thereafter, a consultant can be contacted. You can find the QR code for the APP on our website under “APP consultation”.

Via the platform AyGoNet, “Opferperspektive” offers anonymous mail counseling. Click on the button “DIRECT TO MAIL CONSULTATION” to access the counseling platform. On the registration page, all you have to do is enter a nickname and a password in order to submit your own counseling request completely anonymously via a secure server. The specification of an email address is voluntary. It can be used to replace a lost password and to be informed about incoming messages. The protected area of one’s own mailbox, in which all requests and messages are stored, can then be viewed at any time via the login button.

Via the contact form a consultation can be arranged by phone, video or mail. A consultation by mail can be protected by pgp.

If an email address was provided when registering, it is sufficient to enter the “Forgotten password” option on the login page. We will send a new password, and you will be able to log in again. Without email, we can continue the consultation with a newly created account. The old nickname will then help us to restore the course of the consultation.

Only the nickname is recorded in the online advice portal. If further data is entered within the profile, this will be saved in a file in order to record the consultation. All consultations are also saved and filed in the file. Only the consultants in the online consultation have access to this file. If this storage of the consultation process is undesirable, all this data will be destroyed immediately upon notification.