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
Select your language
Generated with artificial intelligence.
Listening: Switzerland postpones launch of emergency number for domestic violence victims
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.
“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
How we work
We select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate them into English. An editor then briefly reviews the translation for clarity and accuracy before publication. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. The news stories we select have been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team from news agencies such as Bloomberg or Keystone.
Did you find this explanation helpful? Please fill out this short survey to help us understand your needs by clicking hereExternal link.
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
Trump’s promise to lower drug prices rattles Swiss pharma stocks
This content was published on
US President Trump wants to make medicines cheaper in the US, which could mean huge losses for drugmakers, including those in Switzerland.
Trial opens in Switzerland for murder case of school caretaker
This content was published on
The trial of a man who allegedly killed a 41-year-old man with three shots in the Maggia Valley in May 2023 begins on Monday.
China and US agree to lower tariffs after talks in Geneva
This content was published on
According to the Chinese delegation, China and the US reached a “series of important agreements” during their trade talks in Geneva.
Vast majority of Swiss support social media ban for under-16s
This content was published on
Around 80% of people who took part in a recent survey in Switzerland said they were in favour of a social media ban for under-16s.
Koyo Kouoh, prominent art world figure, dies aged 58
This content was published on
Koyo Kouoh, curator of the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, Biennale Arte 2026, has died, aged 58, it was announced on Saturday.
This content was published on
One in seven adults in Switzerland has fallen victim to a cyber scam, according to a survey published by the SonntagsZeitung newspaper. One-third of victims have lost over CHF1,000 ($1,200).
Treasury secretary says Swiss firms want to invest up to CHF200 billion in US
This content was published on
According to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Swiss companies have indicated their interest in investing CHF150-200 billion ($180-240 billion) in the United States.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.