Hi Im not a troll - well known on here and just went to the London MN meetup.
Im trying to help a friend about whom IM quite worried living in Germany. The friend is a UK national married to a German living in a south western area of Baden Wurtemberg (sp?)
They have been unhappy in the marriage for some time but have stayed in it for sake of kids.
There are lots of bad aspects to the marriage which would be too identifiable to write. I could help the friend if they were in UK but I havent got a clue in Germany.
What Im trying to find out is about separation law. The German spouse has said that they will take the kids away, turn them against them etc if anything happens. If my friend were to separate what rights could they expect ie could they insist on joint custody? What generally happens in Germany?
And then the thing Im really worried about. The German has hit my friend so badly that medical attention had to be sought. And the doctor knew what had happened and why but nothing was done.
And then recently my friend was threatened with a knife 
by spouse
Ive written the whole above in a non sex identified basis - because the really difficult thing too is that my friend is a man - married to a German woman. I just dont know if DV is taken at all seriously in Germany when it is a woman hitting a man (He doesnt hit her)
You can see with the knife incident recently that Im really worried.
All help would would be gratefully received.