Following the killing of a bailiff in Bexbach, Saarland, the German Bailiffs' Association has called for a more comprehensive security concept. The incident highlights ongoing risks for field workers. Association chairman Matthias Boek identifies improved training and equipment as urgent steps.
On Tuesday, a 58-year-old bailiff was killed in Bexbach, Saarland. According to investigations, the incident occurred during an eviction as part of enforced execution in an apartment. The man was reportedly attacked and killed with a knife; the suspect was arrested.
The German Bailiffs' Association (DGVB) is responding to the death by demanding a better protection and security concept for field staff. Chairman Matthias Boek highlights three main concerns in an interview with the German Press Agency: improved training, better protective equipment such as stab- and bulletproof vests, and greater privacy protection for employees.
Bailiffs are usually out alone in their daily work and thus particularly vulnerable, Boek explains. «Verbal attacks are actually the order of the day. That's part of our everyday life,» he says. Physical violence is also common: «It starts with spitting, scratching, and pushing» and can escalate. Such incidents happen throughout the year, though the current case is especially dramatic.
As concrete measures, the association proposes de-escalation training and defense techniques. So far, these are only rudimentary in the training, which varies by federal state. Boek sees protective vests as useful but warns they could compromise anonymity – both for debtors and the bailiffs themselves. He also calls for easier registration blocks to protect private addresses; efforts with the Federal Ministry of the Interior have been unsuccessful so far.
The incident sheds light on the growing challenges in judicial enforcement and the need for more effective safeguards.