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From 2021 to 2022, almost seven percent more such measures were imposed, an increase from 13,546 to 14,462. This was announced by the Austrian violence protection centers on Friday at a press conference in Vienna and drew attention to gaps in Austrian law that should be closed in order to protect victims.
Marina Sorgo, Chairwoman of the Federal Association of Austrian Violence Protection Centers, said that this development can also be observed analogously in the contacts of those affected at the violence protection centers as a whole. “Of course, it’s not just people who come to us who were previously with the police.” In 2021, the violence protection centers advised 22,039 people (entry bans: 13,546), in 2022 it was 23,648 (entry bans: 14,462). About 85 percent of the perpetrators of violence are male. This gender distribution roughly continues with the imposed entry and approach bans. 87 to 88 percent of these bans affect men.
Signs of increased awareness
The chairwoman of the federal association said that from her point of view the increase in contacts and imposed bans was not a sign of increased violence, but of increased awareness. Since its introduction, the number of entry and approach bans has gradually increased. As an example, Sorgo mentioned that the police receive intensive basic training. “On the other hand, people see that it helps a little (when they contact the authorities or the relevant bodies, ed.),” she said.
According to the federal chairman, the visibility of the violence protection centers is still a deficit. Among other things, they want to remedy this with a corporate identity: The Vienna intervention center against violence in the family is now called the Violence Protection Center and is also under the umbrella of the Federal Association, as its interim managing director Nicole Krejci explained. “70 to 80 percent of the victims of the murder of women were not previously with the police or with victim protection organizations,” stressed Sorgo. The federal association also does not see the danger that those affected could get lost in a “jungle of contact points”. Those affected would be referred if the counselors realized that another position would be more suitable for them.
The violence protection centers also try to close legal loopholes in victim protection. They want those affected by acts of violence and their representatives to have the right to apply for instructions from the court. This involves, for example, a contact ban for the perpetrator or the condition that he must undergo alcohol withdrawal. Karin Gölly, Managing Director of the Burgenland Violence Protection Center, also pointed out that it would be important in terms of victim protection to also have free legal process support for those affected by violence in civil proceedings, for example in divorce and custody proceedings or when determining the main place of residence of the victim children.
Standardized risk assessment tools
In addition, Gölly called for Austria-wide standardized tools for assessing the risk of threats. The fact that this has not been the case so far, she identified as a deficit. In addition, from the point of view of the violence protection centers, it would be important to offer help earlier in cases where one can already see that patriarchal structures are in place or where vulnerable families are concerned. “As a victim protection organization, we are at the end of the chain,” Sorgo explained. However, the authorities and institutions often find out about precarious circumstances much earlier, for example through child and youth welfare. The aim is to break learned behavioral patterns at an early stage.
With regard to risk assessment tools, the Federal Criminal Police Office pointed out that the products available on the market had been evaluated for a long time. “It is important to us that the structure and mode of operation of this tool is (also) scientifically sound,” it said in a statement sent to APA. Many different risk assessment tools of this kind are currently being used in Europe, differing from one another in relevant respects.
“The fact is that there is currently no such tool that is scientifically valid and does justice to the circumstances throughout Austria, both with regard to the manifestations of domestic violence and in relation to the legal framework,” said the Federal Criminal Police Office. However, existing and new tools will continue to be examined, since the usefulness of this support for interveners is “undisputed”. For example: The “ODARA” (Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment) tool used by the Vienna State Police Headquarters as part of the “GiP Support” (GiP = violence in the private sphere, note) cannot be used for all GiP constellations.
Source: Nachrichten
