Switzerland postpones launch of emergency number for domestic violence victims

A demonstrator pays tribute to a victim of femicide at a march on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 in Fribourg. Keystone / Jean-Christophe Bott

The “142” emergency number, which aims to help victims of domestic violence, will not be operational until May 2026. Its launch, initially planned for November 2025, has been postponed.

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“The creation of the legal framework necessary for the implementation of a short code and the increased technical complexity of the project have resulted in a six-month delay,” the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) announced on Sunday. This confirms a report published in Le Matin Dimanche.

“Telecommunications service providers need more time to implement the number in their networks,” a spokesperson said. He pointed out that implementation is the responsibility of the Confederation of Cantonal Directors of Social Affairs (CDAS), as the owner of the “142” number, and Swisscom.

“We are ready to move forward,” Matthias Reynard, president of the CDAS, assured Le Matin Dimanche. But this requires “a modification of the ordinance by the federal government, which must be carried out by OFCOM”.

This postponement comes amid concerns about the number of femicides in Switzerland. The most recent, in Epagny in canton Fribourg in which a man killed his wife at her workplace with a hunting rifle.

At least 14 femicides were committed in 2025, according to the group that organised a silent march on Friday honouring the Epagny victim. Domestic violence is on the rise in the country. It increased by 6.1% in 2024, according to the Federal Statistical Office.

Adapted from French by DeepL/jdp

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