Verhör

Verhör is a formal questioning conducted by police, prosecutors, or other authorities to obtain statements from a suspect, accused person, or witness as part of a criminal investigation. The term is commonly used in German-speaking countries and denotes a specific investigative step, distinct from informal questioning or general interviews (Befragung).

In Germany and other German-speaking jurisdictions, the procedure is governed by national criminal procedure codes such as the Strafprozessordnung (StPO). A suspect has rights during a Verhör, including to be informed of the purpose of the questioning, to consult with a defense attorney, and to have counsel present during questioning in certain circumstances (for example, when in custody or charged). The suspect may also refuse to answer or offer limited responses; statements must be voluntary and free from coercion. Coercive methods or threats are prohibited, and statements obtained under improper pressure can be excluded from evidence. Verhöre are typically recorded in a Vernehmungsprotokoll (interrogation record) that documents questions and answers.

The Verhör is usually conducted by trained investigators and may involve a range of preparatory and procedural steps, including the identification of the questions, the examination of the reliability of statements, and the assessment of voluntariness. Separate from Verhöre of suspects, witness questioning is called Zeugenvernehmung and is governed by its own rules.

Internationally, similar procedures exist in Austria and Switzerland, with national variations in rights, recording methods, and thresholds for counsel. The term Verhör carries a connotation of formal, sometimes adversarial questioning, whereas Befragung refers more broadly to information gathering.