Ärztliche Schweigepflicht bei Kindeswohlgefährdung

Definition of the problem Medical confidentiality, which is one of the main pillars of medical ethics, has taken a decisive role in the latest discussions about the improvement of child protection laws. Inexplicit and plurivalent arrangements and procedures of how to legally handle child abuse cases when persons with legal custody refuse to take further support are seen as an obstacle for effective child protection. Arguments Non-specific legal regulations lead to task uncertainty and hesitation on the side of health care professionals, which can result in the delay or even prevention of necessary actions. Therefore, new laws on the federal level have been passed in order to establish certainty with regard to professional secrecy and in order to foster networking among the actors in the field of child protection. Conclusion The paper analyses and discusses these legal attempts at strengthening child protection. Although some of the federal laws have the potential of clarification, the great number of laws and their explication restricts their impact.