Victim support in focus: Symposium to support victims of violence in Vienna!

Victim support in focus: Symposium to support victims of violence in Vienna!

On February 18, 2025, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and the WEISSER RING will invite you to an important symposium entitled “Compensation for victims of crime – a matter of course or an unattainable goal?” a. The event takes place in the large lecture hall of the ministry in Vienna and offers specialist lectures on the demanding aspects of compensation in criminal proceedings for victims of crime. Lyane Sautner, a member of the WEISSER RING, and Susanne Kammerhofer, who is responsible for victim support, will explain the confusing topics of compensation to the participants. In addition, an insightful video by Karin Portmann, an expert in justice and victim support, will be presented. Media representatives are warmly invited, while the event can also be followed via livestream ots.at reported.

Attention to victims of situational violence

On February 21, 2023, the 13th Day of Crime Victims was organized by the Ministry of the Interior in cooperation with the WEISSER RING, where the focus was on the topic of “Situational violence – a special challenge in victim support”. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner pointed out that crime statistics are gradually returning to pre-corona pandemic levels. Particular attention is paid to the increase in break-ins and the dangerous consequences of cybercrime. These trends are viewed from a victim protection perspective, such as bmi.gv.at reported.

Situational violence that occurs between people without private relationships represents a serious challenge for victim support organizations. The Interior Minister emphasized that this form of violence must be given greater focus in the future. Measures to improve victim protection in Austria have been taken in recent years, including a drastic increase in the number of prevention officers and the provision of over 24 million euros for the violence protection budget. Justice Minister Alma Zadic and other government officials highlighted the importance of low-threshold access to legal aid for victims of violence, an essential step in supporting those suffering from such tragedies.