Many women experience sexual violence in their lives. To protect those affected and provide a point of contact, there are women’s shelters throughout Austria. The police are also being better trained to be able to provide adequate assistance in such incidents. But when four emergency calls go unanswered after a sexual assault, the question immediately arises: what went wrong?
Kronehit reports on a sexual assault on the night of May 26 at Karlsplatz in Vienna. The young people, who wish to remain anonymous, witnessed an assault. A young woman was grabbed from behind and harassed by a man.
Woman screamed loudly for help
Fortunately, the attacker was deterred by the victim’s cries for help and the witnesses came to the aid of the young woman. When the Witnesses called various hotlines for women in need to get help for the victim, a gauntlet began for everyone involved.
Although the woman narrowly escaped sexual abuse, none of the hotlines felt responsible, all referred her to the police. The police also drove away after taking the victim’s data and statements. Her only advice: go to the homeless shelter.
“The woman could have been helped better”
The victim refused. Since no other shelter for women in Vienna could help her, she saw no other option but to return to Slovakia. It was now Tuesday morning. The young witnesses bought her a train ticket and, despite her nauseating feeling, put her on the next train to Bratislava. Kronehit asked the responsible organizations for an explanation and received the following answers:
- Viennese women’s shelters
Director of the Vienna Women’s Shelter Andrea Brem: “I don’t think we were really responsible for this particular case. The women’s shelters are responsible for domestic violence. I would still say we could have involved the woman. is threatened, just needs protection. It’s not about who would have been responsible.” Brem wants to discuss the matter with her employees.
- Helpline for women against violence
Because of the language barrier, it was difficult to speak to the young woman in person, says Maria Rösslhumer, head of the women’s helpline against violence. At night, however, it is often only possible to refer to other places anyway.
- 24-hour emergency helpline for women
Heidemarie Kargl, head of the 24-hour hotline for women: “Since our counselor has not spoken directly to the person concerned, we don’t know anything more about her situation and what specific help she would have needed.”
- LPD Vienna
“We take care of those affected in the initial phase to avert a danger or a threat. In individual cases, preventive measures can be taken if the situation calls for it. If necessary, people can be taken to the office and then handed over there to the responsible authorities,” said police spokesman Markus Dittrich.
Violence in women
Every third woman over the age of 15 in Austria has already experienced physical or sexual violence, according to statistics from Statistics Austria. In addition, in this case there were also four alerted hotlines that did not offer the victim the necessary help, leaving the woman completely alone due to the language barrier. Much needs to be done to protect women.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
