In criminal law, the state, represented by the police and the public prosecutor's office, conducts a judicial inquiry against an offender.
In civil law, the person concerned can take action against the offender themselves. If there is sufficient evidence that a crime was committed, the prosecution brings charges and the court sentences the perpetrator. In a criminal proceeding, the person concerned is above all a witness.
While the purpose of criminal law is to punish a guilty person, the purpose of civil law is to enforce claims against someone, for example, for damages or compensation for pain and suffering. The person concerned is not a witness here, but rather one of the parties in a trial. This means that they can take action against the perpetrator themselves, wherever possible with legal representation, such as a lawyer, and sue the perpetrator.