Unit of Forensic Gerontology

"Domestic violence" refers to acts of violence between people living together in a household. The generic term domestic violence therefore includes not only violence in couple relationships (before, during and after separation), but also violence against children, violence by children against their parents, violence between siblings and violence against elderly people living in the household. Other terms, often used synonymously, are violence against women, violence in the family, and intra-family violence.

Domestic violence occurs in all age groups and social classes. It can take many different forms and have many different effects. Often doctors and nurses are the first contact persons for victims of violence. Therefore, the recognition of violence is not only crucial for the concrete help in the emergency situation, but also for the clarification of the act of violence.

Medical and nursing professionals cannot change the living conditions of the affected persons or end their violent situation. However, the affected persons can be further referred to assistance or protection facilities and, if necessary, to the police.

Scientific projects

Implementation of an online toolbox for victim protection. BMASGK.

EU-Project RiVi. Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Human Rights Vienna; Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health - Università degli Studi di Brescia; Institute of Forensic Medicine Hannover; Institute of Forensic Medicine Heidelberg; Faculty of Law - Palacký University Olomouc; Department of Forensic Medicine - Charles University, Hradec Králové; Center for Forensic Medicine Vienna.

EU-Project JUSTeU! Juridical standards for clinical forensic examinations of Victims of Violence in Europe. Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Clinical Forensic Imaging; Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health - Università degli Studi di Brescia; Institute of Forensic Medicine Hannover; Institute of Forensic Medicine Heidelberg; Faculty of Law - Palacký University Olomouc; Department of Forensic Medicine - Charles University, Hradec Králové; Center for Forensic Medicine Vienna.

Task force – Criminal law, Protection of Victims and Work with Offenders. Working Group Health/Forensics. BMI, BKA, LBI CFI, BMASGK, Center for Forensic Medicine Vienna.

Implementation of the NAP on Women's Health and Care for Women Victims of Violence in Hospitals. GÖG; Center for Forensic Medicine Vienna.

MARAC – Measures for the Protection of Particularly Vulnerable Victims of Domestic Violence (High Risk Victims and High Risk Perpetrators). Vienna Intervention Center against Domestic Violence; Vienna Federal Police Headquarters; Vienna Ministry of Justice; Youth Welfare Offices; Institutions for Child Protection, Women, Migrants, Work with Perpetrators; Institutions in the Social and Health Care Sector and in Addiction Treatment; Center for Forensic Medicine Vienna.

Improving the preservation of evidence and the sparing treatment of victims in court. Vienna Intervention Center against Family Violence; Center for Forensic Medicine Vienna.

Gender-Statistics. Interdisciplinary and inter-agency working group to improve statistical data on violence against women and children.

The “MEDPOL” project is being carried out by the Federal Criminal Police Office in cooperation with the Austrian Medical Chamber and experts from various areas of healthcare and the police. The aim is to standardise administrative processes where medical tasks and police work meet to safeguard and improve quality as a result.

The checklist (documentation sheet) developed in the project jointly by the ÖGGM (Austrian Society of Forensic Medicine), the ÖÄK (Austrian Medical Association) and the BM.I is intended to simplify and standardise the description of violent injuries.

Acute medical care and support for victims of violence is always the first priority. A detailed and comprehensible written documentation of the injuries suffered and the correct preservation of evidence are helpful, at the latest when these can be used in subsequent court proceedings. For this reason, experts in forensic medicine, the Austrian Medical Association (ÖÄK), victim protection and the Federal Ministry of the Interior have developed a standardised documentation checklist for use in court as part of the MedPol (Medicine - Police) project. This checklist facilitates the presentation of evidence (also in later proceedings) and should therefore be used throughout Austria by doctors, nurses and, to some extent, non-medical professionals, such as the staff of victim support centers and the police.

Together with the guideline "Health Care of Women Affected by Violence", this provides profound support as well as comprehensive information on the assessment of findings, documentation and conducting interviews with victims of violence.

GewaltFREI leben! – Whether at work, in public, in a relationship or at home, violence against women is still an everyday problem. In cases of domestic violence, children are always affected as well, either directly by being abused themselves, or indirectly by witnessing their mother's violence. The project raises awareness of the issue of violence against women and children and does valuable prevention work. Int also aims to arise awareness of the women's helpline against violence (0800 222 555 - anonymous, free, 24 jpirs a day). The campaign is supported by the Center for Forensic Medicine Vienna.