Swiss House of Representatives backs plan to improve support for victims of violence

Help for victims of violence must be standardised in Switzerland Keystone-SDA

The Swiss House of Representatives backed a proposal on Wednesday to improve support for victims of violence by guaranteeing access to forensic medical care and expanding emergency accommodation across the country.

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The government’s reform, backed by 139 votes to 55, is part of a broader push in recent years to tackle violence against women, which has been on the rise in Switzerland.

Evidence of violence should be collected independently of any criminal investigation. This gives victims time to consider whether they want to report the incident. Records should be kept for at least 15 years in the case of forensic documentation, and for five years for physical evidence.

The law change is also meant to close gaps in support for victims, which currently varies widely between cantons. “Access to emergency accommodation still depends too much on where someone lives,” said Jessica Jaccoud, from the Social Democratic Party in canton Vaud, on behalf of the committee. “That shouldn’t be the case.”

The dossier will now go to the Senate.

Translated from French by AI/sp

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