File a criminal complaint

Certain criminal offences are only prosecuted by the public prosecutor's office if the injured party has filed a criminal complaint. This expresses your wish that an offence should be prosecuted.
The public prosecutor's office should initiate preliminary proceedings and bring charges once the investigation is complete.

As the person making the request, you will receive a notification if the investigation proceedings are discontinued or not initiated at all, and only you can appeal against such a decision by the public prosecutoronly you can lodge an appeal against such a decision by the public prosecutor's office and apply for a court decision.

Note: In contrast, the mere reporting of a criminal offence is the notification of a criminally significant fact without you, as the person reporting the offence, attaching importance to the information You, as the person making the report, attach importance to prosecution.
If you report a criminal offence to the police, they will inform you of the need to file a criminal complaint.

You can file a criminal complaint for offences that primarily affect you personally and not the general public, for example

• Trespassing,
• Assault or
• Insult.

In certain cases (e.g. assault or damage to property), the public prosecutor's office can also initiate a criminal prosecution on its own initiative "due to special public interest". A criminal complaint is then not necessary. The offence can be even be prosecuted against the will of the victim.