Gewaltschutzzentrum OÖ

If you are being humiliated, threatened, restricted in your personal freedom or harmed by your partner or a family member, please contact us. We support you and your children in case of domestic violence, regardless of social class. We offer advice and support you in taking the necessary legal steps!

Whether you are a vicitm to humiliation, abuse or any form of violence by your partner or spouse, a relative, a close friend or an acquaintance – please contact us. We support vicitms of all kinds of violence, mobbing or abuse and advise you in taking legal steps.

If you are being surveilled, followed or contacted and thus harassed by someone against your explicit will, you are being stalked.

The behavior of a stalker shows a certain continuity and frequency and in some cases last for several months or years. The victim is “terrorized” by for example being followed or spied on, vilificated within their private or professional environment, waylaid and/or harassment over the phone/ e-mail/ text messages/ Whatsapp etc.

This may have the following impact on victims: Insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks or other psychosomatic conditions.

We offer counselling and support you in taking legal steps on your request.

Recommendations on how to react:

1. Abstinence: avoid contact and do not accept attempts to contact you
2. Transparency: inform your inner circle of friends and family about the harassment
3. Documentation: document calls and keep the text messages, e-mails and letters
4. Consistancy: stick to those rules and do not diverge

Abstinence:

• Tell the offender only once in clear words that you do not wish to have further contact with him or her. Ignore him or her after that and do not react to their attempts of getting in touch with you.
• If you are being harassed via phone or social network, block the offender.
• Ask your provider which technical safety functions there are.

Documentation:

• Secure and keep evidence (e.g. letters, text messages). This is important if you decide to take legal steps.
• Document every contact and save the evidence (Whatsapp-messages, text messages, letters, Facebook postings etc.). This is also important if you decide to take legal steps.
• Take screenshots and save a back-up on other data storage media, not just on your mobile phone.

Transparency:

• Inform your private and professional environment about you being stalked. This will empower you and disempower the offender.
• If you are being followed by a car, drive to the next police station.
• In dangerous or threatening situations, call the police (133) or the euro emergency number (112).
• Get help and support from counselling institutions such as the Gewaltschutzzentrum.

We advise you in filing a charge, support you at a court hearing, to which we can accompany you too. We explain your rights in legal proceedings and support you in case you want to utilize them. In criminal proceedings we can provide you with a lawyer if necessary.

The following persons are entitled to attendance in legal proceedings:

1. Persons who were subject to violence within their relationship, family or close social environment; persons who were threatened.
2. Persons who are or have been stalked.
3.  Close relatives to a victim, who was killed by a criminal act.

Attendance in legal proceedings is free of charge!

Even if it is not you but someone in your family or circle of friends who is affected by violence, you can contact us.

Some pieces of advice in dealing with the situation:

• Address the person you think is affected and tell them about your observation and presumption. Only do so when you are alone with this person.
• Tell him or her that you understand their situation.
• Tell them that they are not to blame for the violence.
• Ask them how you can be of help.
• Even if he or she declines your help at first, tell them that you will always be there for them
• Provide them with the address and phone number of the Gewaltschutzzentrum and the women’s shelter, and accompany her to an appointment there.
• Do not do not plan anything or (under)take any steps that the person does not want. Let them decide for themselves.
• Do not blame the person or pressure them into justifying themselves. Do not talk badly about the offender.
• Respect the person’s decision, even if you do not understand or support it.
• Call the police if you witness violence. They have to act and take the appropriate measures.
• Do not put yourself in danger if you are in a threatening situation.
• Offer to testify for the victim. That can be very important for him or her.
• If children are affected by violence, turn to the police or the youth welfare. This can be done anonymously.