Women’s prison? Law change? Here’s what’s actually true in the Liebich case
Short answer: No, Germany’s Self-Determination Act has not been changed because of this case. And no, it’s not confirmed that the far-right activist formerly known as Sven Liebich will live in a women’s unit. Keep reading to see where the story took a sharp turn—and where headlines misled.
The twist that changes the whole story
The most important correction first: there is no automatic right to a women’s unit after a legal gender change. The Halle prosecutor did summon Marla‑Svenja Liebich to start serving an 18‑month sentence at the Chemnitz women’s prison—but the prison decides the final placement after intake and a risk assessment. That decision was still pending as of Aug 19–21, 2025. Sources: Deutschlandfunk, Tagesspiegel, n‑tv, LTO
- https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/rechtsextremistin-liebich-soll-haftstrafe-nach-aenderung-ihres-geschlechteintrags-in-frauengefaengni-100.html
- https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/verurteilte-rechtsextremistin-liebich-soll-haftstrafe-in-chemnitzer-frauen-jva-antreten-14195738.html
- https://www.n-tv.de/der_tag/Rechtsextremistin-Liebich-soll-ins-Frauengefaengnis-zu-Beate-Zschaepe-und-Lina-E-article25975176.html
- https://www.lto.de/recht/hintergruende/h/sven-marla-svenja-liebich-strafvollzug-rechtsextremismus-haft-trans
That nuance got lost in early English tabloid stories that claimed Liebich was already “in a women’s prison.” Those reports were premature.
- https://www.the-sun.com/news/15016003/neo-nazi-changed-gender-womens-prison-outrage-germany
- https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/neo-nazi-womens-prison-changing-gender-vj5zvwm89
- https://nypost.com/2025/01/16/world-news/german-neo-nazi-jailed-for-inciting-hatred-changes-gender-in-bid-to-go-to-womens-prison
- Background correction: https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/neonazi-mit-geschlechtsanderung-was-hinter-dem-fall-liebich-steckt—und-was-nicht-13039780.html
So what actually happened?
- Liebich, a far-right activist, legally changed name and gender entry to Marla‑Svenja under Germany’s Self-Determination Act (SBGG). This triggered a wave of criticism and debate.
Context: https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article255145084/Selbstbestimmungsgesetz-Rechtsextremist-Liebich-ist-jetzt-formal-eine-Frau-Ampel-hat-einen-grossen-Fehler-gemacht.html
https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/neonazi-mit-geschlechtsanderung-was-hinter-dem-fall-liebich-steckt—und-was-nicht-13039780.html
https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/rechtsextremist-liebich-aendert-offenbar-geschlechtseintrag-und-koennte-ins-frauen-gefaengnis-kommen-100.html - Legal and political analysts widely describe the move as a likely provocation, but motive cannot be proven and the law does not require medical assessments.
Analysis: https://www.lto.de/recht/hintergruende/h/liebich-missbrauch-selbstbestimmungsgesetz-sbgg-trans - In August 2025, prosecutors summoned Liebich to report to JVA Chemnitz (a women’s facility) because the paperwork shows a female gender and a Saxony address. Placement in a women’s unit is not guaranteed; the prison decides after intake.
Sources as above.
Even BILD contradicted itself
- May 2025: BILD wrote Liebich “must” go to a men’s prison.
https://www.bild.de/regional/sachsen-anhalt/rechtsextremist-lebt-als-frau-svenja-marla-muss-18-monate-in-den-maennerknast-67ee79a0b054ec469700ce93 - August 2025: BILD reported the summons to the women’s JVA Chemnitz.
This later line matches prosecutors’ procedure: initial assignment follows the legal gender; final housing is an individual prison decision.
How prison placement really works
Think of the process like airport security: everyone goes through the same checkpoint, but who gets extra screening depends on a risk assessment. In German corrections:
- Intake location can follow the legal gender entry.
- Housing (women’s vs men’s unit) is decided after a case-by-case assessment focused on safety, security, and rights of others.
- There is no automatic “right” to a specific unit based only on legal paperwork.
Is the law changing because of this?
Short answer: Not yet. After the 2025 federal coalition shift, CDU/CSU and SPD agreed to evaluate the Self-Determination Act by July 31, 2026—especially for minors, timing rules, and women’s protection. An evaluation is not a change in law. Some parties want tighter prison guidance, but no amendment is in force.
- Coalition evaluation: https://www.tagesspiegel.de/gesellschaft/queerspiegel/koalitionsvertrag-von-union-und-spd-ein-armutszeugnis-queere-verbande-warnen-vor-ruckschritten-13517905.html
- Briefing on the evaluation pledge: https://www.paritaet-bw.org/leistungen-services/fachinformationen/parititaetische-auswertung-koalitionsvertrag-2025-von-cdu-csu-und-spd
- Overview: https://queernations.de/selbstbestimmungsgesetz-evaluation-im-koalitionsvertrag
- Political pressure coverage: https://www.bild.de/politik/inland/nach-skandal-um-neonazi-union-will-ran-ans-trans-gesetz-68a6fed293468d1ba10d0508
What the Self-Determination Act actually says
- Passed April 12, 2024; main parts took effect Nov 1, 2024.
- Adults can change legal gender and first names by declaration at the registry office.
- Three‑month pre‑declaration period; one‑year wait before another change.
- No medical diagnosis required.
Official explainers: - https://www.bmfsfj.de/bmfsfj/aktuelles/presse/pressemitteilungen/das-selbstbestimmungsgesetz-tritt-in-kraft-247982
- https://www.bmbfsfj.bund.de/bmfsfj/aktuelles/alle-meldungen/das-selbstbestimmungsgesetz-tritt-in-kraft-247884
- https://www.bmj.de/DE/themen/gesellschaft_familie/selbstbestimmung/selbstbestimmung_node.html
- https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/suche/selbstbestimmungsgesetz-2215426
What’s verified, what’s not
Verified facts:
- Liebich changed legal gender and name to Marla‑Svenja under the SBGG.
- A summons was issued to report to the Chemnitz women’s prison.
- Final unit placement is decided by the prison after intake and risk assessment.
- No legal change has been enacted in response to this case; only an evaluation is planned by mid‑2026.
Uncertain or unproven:
- Motive for the legal change (often called a provocation)—cannot be proven by journalists.
Source: https://www.lto.de/recht/hintergruende/h/liebich-missbrauch-selbstbestimmungsgesetz-sbgg-trans - The final housing decision inside the prison was not confirmed at the time of reporting.
About BILD’s new vodcast
- BILD launched the vodcast “Vertraulich!” on Aug 20, 2025, hosted by Thomas Kausch.
https://www.bild.de/politik/inland/exklusiv-auf-bild-de-bild-vodcast-vertraulich-startet-68a5d6617e2e0843ffaa552d
Trade press: https://www.dwdl.de/nachrichten/103453/bild_investiert_in_neue_studios_fr_videoberichterstattung - We could not independently confirm whether Peter Tiede appears in the specific episode that triggered these claims. He is a senior BILD political writer and often appears in BILD videos.
Why this matters
This case touches two sensitive priorities at once: protecting women in custody and protecting the rights of trans people to live safely and legally. The law gives a path to change legal gender; prisons must still balance safety for everyone on a case-by-case basis. Both things can be true at the same time.
What to watch next
- The prison’s final placement decision after intake.
- Whether the federal evaluation in 2026 leads to clearer national guidance for prisons.
- Any court challenges that might set precedent on housing decisions after a legal gender change.
How we checked this
We compared BILD’s claims with official explainers and German outlets that quoted prosecutors and legal experts. Where foreign coverage contradicted German reporting, we prioritized primary German sources and legal analysis, and flagged the discrepancies.
Bottom line: The story is dramatic—but the clean facts are less sensational. No law has changed. No women’s-unit placement is confirmed. The system is following its rules: paperwork determines where you report; risk assessment decides where you live.