Dark balance: Number of violence in Graz almost tripled!

Dark balance: Number of violence in Graz almost tripled!

Graz, Österreich - The violence at the Medical University of Graz takes stock after a year of its pilot project and the numbers speak a clear language. According to puls24 have almost tripled between April 2024 and March 2025, an impressive factor of 2.84. This not only underlines the grown trust of those affected in this facility, but also the urgent need for such offers.

The facility was launched in May 2022 and quickly developed into an important contact point for those affected by violence. A total of 237 clinical-forensic studies have been carried out in the past 12 months. 118 of these examinations were made directly in the outpatient clinic itself. The youngest affected people were only two weeks old, while the oldest person was 73 years old. An alarming feature: 66 % of those affected came to suspicion of physical violence, and the female affected person was affected by an overwhelming share of 97 % due to sexualized violence.

relevance and support for those affected

Minister of women Eva Maria Holzleitner emphasizes the importance of the violence and refers to it as the "institution of justice". She has also assured that the facility in the budget for 2025 and 2026 is secured, which ensures future stability. An important aspect: help is free of charge for all people, regardless of age, gender, origin or financial situation. This ensures that every access to necessary support can be found.

The violence not only offers initial medical help, but also provides information on further offers, including victim aid institutions as well as psychological and legal advice. The doctors who work in this facility work according to modern forensic medical standards and are subject to strict confidentiality, which protects the security and privacy of those affected. All data collected are secured for up to ten years so that collected evidence can be kept.

future developments

For the future, there are already clear plans in sight. A regionalization of the violence in Styria is planned, and an outpatient clinic in Leoben, supported by telemedical medical, is to start in early autumn. These measures show that the offer will not only play an important role in Graz, but soon in other regions. The original violence at the MedUni Graz has existed since 2008 and now has the opportunity to use the pilot project to use your valuable knowledge and experience.

The offer makes a decisive contribution to the clarification of violent incidents and is intended to serve to protect those affected from further attacks. Anyone who is affected by violence will find help, regardless of whether a complaint has already been filed or not. The violence in Graz, already a good address, will continue to be very important in the future in the protection of violence in Austria.