The Austrian government is planning a campaign to inform children about attacks and their rights. You need to know what an attack is and who to contact, said Justice Minister Alma Zadic (Greens). In addition, the family counseling centers will receive more money and psychosocial aftercare will be expanded.
The interdepartmental campaign aims to raise children’s knowledge and awareness and show them where to get help, State Secretary for Youth Affairs Claudia Plakolm (ÖVP) said on Friday. In the future, all schools should have compulsory child protection concepts, whereby the government must first talk to the federal states responsible for compulsory education. A bill is expected to be drafted in the coming weeks.
The conditions for police investigations must also be tightened. For example, an obligation for employers and associations to report is being considered if they know that volunteers or employees pose an acute risk of sexual violence against minors. However, the Ministry of Justice is still investigating whether this is legally and practically feasible.
Sportunion: ‘More transparency is important’
“Currently, it is often difficult for clubs and associations to determine whether an individual poses an acute risk of sexual violence against minors. It is important that there is more transparency here,” said Secretary-General Stefan Grubhofer of Sportunion in a broadcast. For example, the sports teacher who may have abused children at a Viennese secondary school until his suicide in May 2019 had a leading position in a sports club.
As reported, the government presented measures on Wednesday to protect children and young people. The turquoise-green coalition responds to the case of actor Florian Teichtmeister, who must answer to court for possessing images of abuse. There are higher penalties for possession, as well as production and distribution of such images. “We want full toughness against the perpetrators,” said Family Affairs Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP).
therapy for offenders
In the future, offenders should be treated even more specifically during and after their sentence. Its primary purpose is to provide sex therapy and psychotherapy. The measures cost a one-off 2.12 million euros, plus another 9 million euros on an annual basis.
Criticism of the government plans comes, among others, from criminal justice expert Alois Birklbauer. “There are many points of a legislative quickshot that really haven’t been thought through.” There could also be a fine for “purely computer-generated images”. The maximum sentence of ten years for presenting and spreading abusive acts is also the same as the actual rape of a minor.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
