Centers against Domestic Violence in Austria

1. Centers against Domestic Violence in Austria

2. Upper Austria

3. Headoffice and Regional Offices against Domestic Violence in Upper Austria Upper Austria Freistadt Ried Linz Gmunden Kirchdorf

4. DSA Mag.a Maria Schwarz-Schlöglmann Juristin, Sozialarbeiterin und Psychotherapeutin (Systemische Familientherapie), Lawyer, SocialworkerandPsychotherapist Geschäftsführerin des Gewaltschutzzentrums OÖ CEO oftheViolenceProtection Center Upper Austria

5. Gewaltschutzzentrum Oberösterreich Violence Protection Center Upper Austria

6. 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

7. Organisation Chart Club Executive board Management Deputy management Advice lawyers social workers psychologists sociologists Office cleaning Administration

8. Kinds of Violence • Physical violence • Sexual violence • Psychological violence • Economic violence • Social violence • Stalking, including Cyber-Stalking

9. 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

10. 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)

11. Eviction orders

12. Number of Clients

13. 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

14. Discription of system of protection against domestic violence in Austria

15. Law against domestic violence –Model of preventing violence The Austrian „Gewaltschutzgesetz“ – The successexists on threeprinciples: Eviction order fromthepolice Restraining order fromthecourt ViolenceProtection Centers / Intervention Centers These institutionsgetinformationfromthepoliceaboutevictionordersand Stalking, theclientsarecontactedimmediatelyfromthe Center againstdomesticviolence; thefocusofworkiscreatingsecurityplansandrestrainingorderswiththeclientsandaccompanyingthemthroughthissteps CooperationbetweenpoliceandViolenceProtection Centers is a legal duty

16. Process of interventions Police informs the Violence Protection Center client is interested in taking further steps client does not want to take further steps Police intervention Get in touch with the client • Counselling: • Analysing current situation • Legal and social counselling • Danger evaluation • Security plan Close the case with possible referral to other social institutions

17. Report was made to the police We inform the client about the criminal procedure and his/her rights as a victim Discuss the possibility of apply- ing for a restraining order and support the client in obtaining one Provide a lawyer Go along to court with the client Final review of the trial and the case The case is closed

18. Data 2010: Eviction ordersLaw against domestic violence

19. Data 15 Years: ClientsLaw against domestic violence

20. Celebration „15 years law against domestic violence“ in parliament

21. Gewaltschutzgesetz Law against domestic violence • §§ 382b, 382e EO: • Enablesvictimsofdomesticvio- • lencetoapplyfor a restraining • order in courtthatprohibitsthe • offenderfrom • returninghome / order toleavehome • - being in certainplaces • - havinganycontactwiththevictim § 38a SPG: Enablesthepolice - toremove a violentoffender fromhishome - andtoprohibithimfromreturn- ingforthedurationof 2 weeks

22. Psychosocial und lawyer Support in criminal procedures

23. 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)

24. Support in criminal procedures Support is financed by the Ministry of Justice 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

25. Stalking Round 10 % of the clients are affected by Stalking (most of the offenders are former relationship partners)

26. Anti-Stalking-Gesetz Anti-Stalking-law • 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 criminal offense with a range of punishment of up to one year of impri- sonment

27. 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)

28. Continued Violence as a new Criminal law(§ 107b StGBsince 1.6.2009) Who continues a longer time physical violence acts to another person can be prosecuted by criminal court For example: slap somebody in the face, to spit at somebody,… such assaults have not been a crime before!

29. Cooperation partners • Police • Court • Youth welfare office • Lawyers • Other social institutions

30. Thank you for your Attention! www.gewaltschutzzentrum.at