Centers against Domestic Violence in Austria. Upper Austria.

Centers against Domestic Violence in Austria

•

Upper Austria

Headoffice and Regional Offices against Domestic Violence in Upper Austria

Upper Austria

Linz

Kirchdorf

Gmunden

Ried

Freistadt

DSA Mag.a Maria Schwarz-Schlöglmann

Juristin, Sozialarbeiterin und Psychotherapeutin (Systemische Familientherapie),Lawyer, Socialworker and Psychotherapist

Geschäftsführerin des Gewaltschutzzentrums OÖCEO of the Violence Protection Center Upper Austria

Gewaltschutzzentrum Oberösterreich

Violence Protection Center Upper Austria

Development May 1997:

The Austrian Gewaltschutzgesetz (law against domestic violence) is enacted.

October 1998:

The Intervention Center is established in Linz Spring 2001:

The first branch of the Center opens in Freistadt• 2005 - 2007:

3 more branches• January 2006:

Law for support in criminal justice is enacted. April 2006:

“Intervention Center” is renamed “Gewaltschutzzentrum” (Violence Protection Center)

July 2006:

Anti-Stalking law is enacted June 2009:

The 2nd Gewaltschutzgesetz (law against domestic violence) is enacted, including several changes of the former law

Organisation Chart

ClubExecutive

boardManagement

Administration

Office cleaning

Advice

lawyerssocial

workerspsychologist

ssociologists

Deputy management

Kinds of Violence

• Physical violence

• Sexual violence

• Psychological violence

• Economic violence

• Social violence

• Stalking, including Cyber-Stalking

Tasks

• Providing legal and social counselling to victims of domestic violence

• Supporting and accompanying them when taking legal steps

• Support in criminal procedures (due to victim‘s rights prescribed by the law)

• Counselling of stalking-victims• Cooperation with different public and

social institutions• Training of police officers• Public relations• Prevention of violence

Our clients

• 88 % are women• 47 % of them have children• 93 % of our clients were abused by men of

which 64 % are partners or ex-partners• 76 % Austrian• 67 % of them are between 22 and 50 years

old• 60 % are referred to us by the police after a

domestic intervention

(Status: 2011)

Eviction orders

914

872

840

847

855

704

636

556

493

434

442

315

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

Number of Clients

1777

1718

1568

1567

1488

1245

1067

865

775

671

633

478

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

Team life

Team Meetings:- Team Meeting- Case Review- Review of the year/planning

the next year

Counselling

- Team Counselling- Case Counselling- Personal Counselling

Team Life in general: time to discuss and exchange opinions, experience…

Further education and seminars

Discription of system of protectionagainst domestic violence in

Austria

Law against domestic violence –Model of preventing violence

The Austrian „Gewaltschutzgesetz“ – The success exists on three principles:• Eviction order from the police• Restraining order from the court• Violence Protection Centers /

Intervention CentersThese institutions get information from the police about eviction orders and Stalking, the clients are contacted immediately from the Center against domestic violence; the focus of work is creating security plans and restraining orders with the clients and accompanying them through this steps

Cooperation between police and Violence Protection Centers is a legal duty

Process of interventions

Police informsthe Violence Protection Center

client is interested in taking further steps

client does not wantto take further steps

Get in touch with the client

Police intervention

Counselling:• Analysing current situation• Legal and social counselling• Danger evaluation• Security plan

Close the case with possible referralto other social institutions

Report was made to the police

Discuss the possibility of apply-ing for a restraining order and support the client in obtainingone

We inform the client about thecriminal procedure and his/her rights as a victim

Provide a lawyer

Go alongto court with the client

The case is closed

Final review of thetrial and the case

Data 2010: Eviction ordersLaw against domestic violence

Data 15 Years: ClientsLaw against domestic violence

Celebration „15 years law against domestic violence“ in parliament

Gewaltschutzgesetz

Law against domestic violence

§ 38a SPG:

Enables the police- to remove a violent offender from his home- and to prohibit him from return- ing for the duration of 2 weeks

§§ 382b, 382e EO:

Enables victims of domestic vio-lence to apply for a restrainingorder in court that prohibits theoffender from- returning home / order to leave home- being in certain places- having any contact with the victim

Psychosocial und lawyer Support in criminal procedures

Psychosocial und lawyer Support in criminal procedures

• Information about advertisement and accompanying to the police

• Making contact to the lawyer• Accompanying to court hearings• Psychosocial Councelling and support• Information about further steps (Crime

Victims Law, Psychotherapy)

Support in criminal procedures

Legal support:

We provide and pay for a lawyer who is familiar with domestic violence and the local court system.

If time allows, we accompany the client to the first meeting with the lawyer

The lawyer provides us with a detailed report of the trial and outcomes achieved for our clients

Social support:

We explain the criminal procedures to the client

Inform them about their rights as victims and testimony at trial

We prepare the client for court (where is it, who will be there, what does the courtroom look like, what does a testimony have to do etc.)

We go along to court and stay with the client all through the trial

We make a final review of the outcome

Support is financed by the Ministry of Justice

Stalking

Round 10 % of the clients are affected by Stalking

(most of the offenders are former relationship partners)

Anti-Stalking-Gesetz

Anti-Stalking-law

criminal offense with arange of punishment ofup to one year of impri-sonment

Restraining order prohibiting the stalker • from personal contact with the victim• from contact via letters or the telephone• from lingering in certain places• From passing on personal data or pic- tures of the victim• from ordering goods or services on be- half of the victim• From having a third party contact the victim

Stalking - List of Recommendations for Victims

• Abstinence (not call back or answer – 1x and unmisstakeable declare that no contact is welcome)

• Transparence (to inform the social environment workplace – forbid giving informations)

• Documentation (for evidence)

• Consequence (recommendations have to be followed, empowering victims do not make any contact)

Continued Violence as a new Criminal law (§ 107b StGB since 1.6.2009)

Who continues a longer timephysical violence acts to another personcan be prosecuted by criminal court

For example:slap somebody in the face,to spit at somebody,… such assaults have not been a crimebefore!

Cooperation partners

Police

Court

Youth welfare office

Lawyers

Other social institutions

Thank you for your Attention!

www.gewaltschutzzentrum.at