“The introduction of this mandatory violence prevention advice was a new milestone,” says the director of the association “Neustart”, Alfred Kohlberger. The krone.tv interview with Jürgen Winterleitner is about the challenges of domestic violence and the need for comprehensive victim protection and advice for perpetrators.
Since 2021, perpetrators have been required to go to a counseling center within five days of their deportation, which Kohlberger believes makes a decisive contribution to preventing violence.
The association ‘Neustart’ arrests violent offenders in five federal states, 86 percent of whom are men. “In these almost three years, we have so far been assigned 27,000 violent offenders in the five federal states for which Neustadt is responsible,” Kohlberger reports. 80 percent of those affected make use of the support and 85 percent complete it successfully
In violence prevention advice, clear objectives are pursued
Alfred Kohlberger emphasizes that counseling on violence prevention has clear goals: “The main goal is to stop violence. We have to make sure, and the perpetrator has to make sure, that the violence does not happen again.” Counseling includes several phases, from risk assessment to crisis intervention, to break the cycle of violence and promote empathy with the victim.
The challenges for the consultants are diverse: “There is a great variety of challenges for our colleagues. One of them is the wide range of clients that are assigned to us. People from all walks of life come to us.” And the director of Neustart continues: “After the deportation, the triggering event is still very close and therefore the aggression and emotions are sometimes also very close. Then there are clients who speak little or no German.”
According to internal statistics, 60 percent of violent criminals come from Austria. And further: “40 percent do not have Austrian citizenship – these are mainly people from EU countries – such as Romania or Slovakia. Then follow the Balkan countries and Turkey, and then people from Syria and the Arab region.”
What do you think about violence prevention and victim protection in Austria? Join the discussion in the comments!
You can see the entire interview in the video above.
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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.
