tatverdacht

Tatverdacht, literally “suspicion of a crime,” is a legal term in German criminal procedure. It denotes that there are concrete indications that a person has committed a criminal offense. It is more than a vague guess, but it does not amount to proof of guilt. The assessment rests on factual circumstances or evidence that reasonably point toward involvement in an offense.

In practice, Tatverdacht may be categorized by strength. Hinreichender Tatverdacht refers to sufficient suspicion to justify investigative steps; dringender Tatverdacht denotes a higher level of suspicion and is commonly cited as a prerequisite for more intrusive measures, such as arrest or pre-trial detention. The thresholds are defined by law and vary with procedural stage, but they all rely on objective indications rather than conclusions of guilt.

The status of Tatverdacht has procedural effects. It can justify police questioning, searches with judicial authorization, provisional measures, or detention, and it triggers rights of the person concerned, including the right to counsel and to be informed about the reasons for measures taken.

Crucially, Tatverdacht is not guilt. It is a provisional status during the investigation. If the evidence does not establish guilt, the case may be closed; if the investigation yields sufficient evidence, formal charges may be filed and a trial proceeds.

The term is primarily used in German-speaking jurisdictions and in legal discourse; in media or international contexts, it is often translated as “suspicion of involvement in a crime” or “probable cause.” It does not denote a final determination of criminal liability.