Tirol records 4,150 referrals for violence counselling
Monday 5th October 2026 on 15:15 in
Austria
Tirol has recorded 4,150 cases requiring violence-prevention counselling since 2021, ORF reported. People considered a risk must actively attend six hours of counselling after police impose a ban on entering and approaching.
The number of referrals has remained steady, said Jolanda Stricker, project leader at the Violence Prevention Counselling Centre in Tirol. About 90 per cent of the cases involved men and 10 per cent women.
Half of the violence cases occurred in current marriages or partnerships, Stricker said. Another 15 per cent followed the end of a relationship, while 20 per cent involved violence between generations, such as parents harming children.
Stricker said counselling takes place as soon as possible after the incident, when those involved may be more receptive because their awareness of wrongdoing is heightened. She said more than six hours of counselling would be desirable, but increasing the requirement would need an amendment to the Security Police Act. The centre reports to the Interior Ministry, but the federal government would have to enshrine the change in law.
Stricker was cautious about a planned ankle monitor for people considered a risk. Authorities would need to define which people it would apply to, she said, warning that the measure could be misused if its scope remained unclear.
In September, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and Women’s Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner said work was under way on introducing ankle monitors for people considered a risk and high-risk offenders. An assessment of how to implement the measure had been announced for the autumn, in cooperation with the Justice and Women’s ministries.
Staff at the counselling centre said domestic violence includes more than physical abuse, citing insults and extreme surveillance. Counsellors work to help those responsible take responsibility for their actions. Team leader Margaretha Kapferer also warned that the number of unreported cases was likely higher than recorded.