der
Strafantrag
📜 What Exactly is a Strafantrag?
Der Strafantrag is a key term in German criminal procedure law. It refers to the explicit request by an entitled person (usually the victim or injured party) for a specific criminal offense to be prosecuted.
This request (*Antrag*) is a mandatory prerequisite for prosecution by the public prosecutor's office (*Staatsanwaltschaft*) only for certain offenses, known as Antragsdelikte (e.g., *Beleidigung* - insult, *Hausfriedensbruch* - trespass, *einfache Körperverletzung* - simple assault). Without a timely filed *Strafantrag*, the prosecutor cannot press charges for these specific offenses, even if they are aware of the crime.
🚨 For some offenses (*relative Antragsdelikte*), the prosecutor can proceed even without a *Strafantrag* if they affirm a special public interest (*besonderes öffentliches Interesse*) in prosecution.
The word is masculine, so it's always der Strafantrag.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-ag → always masculine.
🧐 Grammar: Declension of 'der Strafantrag'
The noun „Strafantrag“ is masculine. Here are the declension tables:
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | Strafantrag |
| Genitive | des | Strafantrag(e)s |
| Dative | dem | Strafantrag(e) |
| Accusative | den | Strafantrag |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Strafanträge |
| Genitive | der | Strafanträge |
| Dative | den | Strafanträgen |
| Accusative | die | Strafanträge |
📝 Example Sentences
- Der Verletzte stellte fristgerecht einen Strafantrag wegen Beleidigung.
(The victim filed a timely Strafantrag for insult.) - Ohne gültigen Strafantrag kann die Staatsanwaltschaft hier nicht tätig werden.
(Without a valid Strafantrag, the public prosecutor's office cannot take action here.) - Die Rechtsanwältin prüfte die Zulässigkeit des Strafantrags.
(The lawyer checked the admissibility of the Strafantrag.) - Mehrere Strafanträge gingen bei der Polizei ein.
(Several Strafanträge were received by the police.)
💡 Usage and Context for Strafantrag
Der Strafantrag is a formal tool in German criminal law. It only applies to specific offenses (*Antragsdelikte*) that the legislator considers less serious or where the victim's personal interest in prosecution is paramount.
- When is it needed? For *Antragsdelikte* such as *Beleidigung* (§ 185 StGB - insult), *üble Nachrede* (§ 186 StGB - defamation), *Verleumdung* (§ 187 StGB - slander), *Hausfriedensbruch* (§ 123 StGB - trespass), *einfache Körperverletzung* (§ 223 StGB - simple assault, unless there's special public interest), *Sachbeschädigung* (§ 303 StGB - property damage).
- Who files it? Generally, the victim (*der/die Verletzte*, § 77 StGB). If the victim lacks legal capacity, their legal representative files it. For officials (*Amtsträger*), their superior can file it in cases of insults against officials (*Amtsbeleidigung*).
- Deadline (Frist): The *Antrag* must be filed within three months of the entitled person becoming aware of the act and the perpetrator's identity (§ 77b StGB). 🚨 This deadline is strict (Ausschlussfrist)!
- Difference from Strafanzeige: A Strafanzeige is merely reporting facts to law enforcement that might constitute a crime. Anyone can file it anytime, and it obliges authorities to investigate (*Offizialprinzip*). A Strafantrag, however, is the specific demand for prosecution in *Antragsdelikte*, bound by deadlines and entitlement.
🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids
Article Mnemonic: Think of *der Antrag* (the application/request) – it's masculine in German. Der Strafantrag follows the same pattern.
Meaning Mnemonic: Break it down: Straf(e) means 'punishment' and Antrag means 'application' or 'request'. So, a *Strafantrag* is literally a 'request for punishment' proceeding.
🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms for Strafantrag
Synonyms (Similar Meaning):
- Antrag auf Strafverfolgung: (Request for criminal prosecution) - A more descriptive but less common term.
- (Colloquially often misused): Anzeige (This means 'report' or 'complaint' and is technically different!)
Antonyms (Opposite Concepts):
- Strafantragsrücknahme: (Withdrawal of the Strafantrag) - The formal act of retracting a filed *Strafantrag* (often possible until the trial begins).
- Verzicht auf Strafantrag: (Waiver of the Strafantrag) - Declaring the intention not to file a *Strafantrag*.
- Einstellung des Verfahrens (mangels Strafantrags): (Dismissal of proceedings due to lack of a Strafantrag) - The consequence if no valid *Antrag* exists.
⚠️ Risk of Confusion:
- Strafanzeige: As explained above, this is just reporting a potential crime, not the formal request for prosecution required for *Antragsdelikte*. Anyone can file a *Strafanzeige*, but only entitled persons can file a *Strafantrag*.
- Klageerzwingungsverfahren: (Procedure to compel charges) - A legal remedy to force the prosecutor to press charges after they dismissed a case despite a *Strafanzeige* (has different requirements than a *Strafantrag*).
😄 A Little Joke
Richter: "Angeklagter, warum haben Sie Ihren Nachbarn beleidigt?"
Angeklagter: "Herr Richter, er hat sein Laub nicht weggefegt!"
Richter: "Aber deswegen stellt man doch keinen Strafantrag wegen Beleidigung!"
Angeklagter: "Doch! Ich hab' ihm gesagt: 'Du fauler Sack!' – und das war mein Antrag, den Straf-Sack endlich wegzuräumen!"
Translation:
Judge: "Defendant, why did you insult your neighbor?"
Defendant: "Your Honor, he didn't sweep away his leaves!"
Judge: "But that's no reason to file a Strafantrag for insult!"
Defendant: "Yes, it is! I told him: 'You lazy sack!' - and that was my Antrag (request) to finally clear away the Straf-Sack (punishment-sack, a pun on 'lazy sack')!"
✍️ Poem about the Term
Ein Wort fiel falsch, die Ehr' verletzt,
Die Grenze überschritten jetzt.
Doch Staatsanwalt, der bleibt ganz kühl,
Ohne Papier herrscht Stillgefühl.
Da braucht's den Willen, klar und rein,
Soll Strafverfolgung wirklich sein.
Der Strafantrag, auf Blatt gebracht,
Hat erst die Mühle flott gemacht.
Drei Monate nur, die Zeit verrinnt,
Bis man den Täter dingfest spinnt!
Translation:
A word fell wrong, honor injured,
The boundary now transgressed.
But the prosecutor remains quite cool,
Without paper, stillness ruled.
It needs the will, clear and pure,
If prosecution should endure.
Der Strafantrag, put down on sheet,
First gets the wheels moving, oh so fleet.
Just three months, time slips away,
Until the culprit's caught someday!
❓ Riddle
Ich bin kein Brief, doch oft geschrieben,
Bin nicht die Klage, doch wird nach mir gerufen im Hieben.
Ich brauch' 'nen Grund, 'ne Frist, 'ne Hand,
Damit Verfolgung startet hier im Land.
Bei Ehrverletzung oder leisem Bruch des Friedens,
Bin ich des Opfers Wille, auf dass Gerechtigkeit hienieden uns beschieden.
Was bin ich?
Translation:
I'm not a letter, though often written,
I'm not the lawsuit, though called for when smitten.
I need a reason, a deadline, a hand,
So prosecution can start in the land.
For insults hurt or breaches of the peace so quiet,
I am the victim's will, that justice may grant us its fiat.
What am I?
Solution: Der Strafantrag
🧩 Other Information
Word Composition:
The word "Strafantrag" is composed of:
- Strafe: Relating to 'punishment', the legal consequence of a crime.
- Antrag: Meaning 'application', 'request', or 'motion'.
Together, the meaning is: An application aiming to bring about punishment.
Legal Context:
The main legal provisions regarding the *Strafantrag* are found in the German Criminal Code (*Strafgesetzbuch* - StGB), specifically in sections §§ 77 to 77e StGB.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Strafantrag?
The German word 'Strafantrag' is masculine: der Strafantrag. The plural is 'die Strafanträge'. It refers to the formal request by the victim for criminal prosecution in specific cases known as *Antragsdelikte*.