ermittelt

Ermittelt is the past participle and, in some uses, an adjective form of the German verb ermitteln, which means to investigate, ascertain, or determine facts. The term is widely used in law enforcement, legal proceedings, and journalism. It denotes that facts have been sought out and conclusions drawn by an authority or investigator, such as a police department or prosecutor’s office. The scope of ermitteln includes evidence gathering, questioning witnesses, forensics, and analysis to establish what happened and why.

In practical use, the expression es wird ermittelt signals that an investigation is ongoing. Die Polizei ermittelt in dem Fall means the police are investigating the case. Das Ergebnis der Ermittlung refers to the results of the investigation. As an adjective, ermittelt can appear in phrases like ermittelte Ermittlungsergebnisse or ermittelte Hinweise, depending on context, though the exact meaning depends on how it is used in a sentence. Overall, ermitteln emphasizes the process of uncovering facts rather than relying on conjecture.

The noun form is Ermittlung (the investigation), and related terms include Ermittler (investigator) and Ermittlungsverfahren (investigation procedure). The usage of ermittelt highlights the transition from hypothesis to established facts and is common in police reports, court documents, and news coverage of criminal cases.