Partner Violence Against Women – Institutional Progress and Gaps in Switzerland

Legislation at national and cantonal level underlines changes: since 2004 violence in marriage and intimate relationships is a public offence prosecuted by the state. In 2007 a civil legal measure for protection against violence came into effect (Art. 28b ZGB), and go-orders for domestic violence, which are implemented by cantonal police, have been introduced successively since 2003. Agencies and institutions have new intervention tools at their disposal and the actions of different actors have been improved and coordinated in the last ten to fifteen years. Societal perceptions as well have seen far-reaching changes: violence in marriage and intimate relationships is no longer acceptable. Nowadays it is no longer primarily independent womenʼs projects that intervene in domestic abuse but rather a range of different agencies and institutions that offer support and intervention in ongoing violence. What has been missing is a closer look at the impact of these changes, whether they have had the intended consequences and whether they have helped to improve the lives of women affected by violence. Little attention has been paid to how women themselves view and experience the new measures and the work of the intervention and support system. It is at this point that the present study is situated. Starting from qualitative in-depth interviews with forty women who had experienced violence from their partner and subsequently sought support our analyses of the rich material give insight to progress and gaps in public policies and the institutional support of police, support agencies, law and health care sector as well as perpetrator support and other agencies. Key findings reveal that different steps have brought important improvements. But still, much remains to be done. Above all, ending violence, holding perpetrators accountable, and offering support for behaviour change is a most lacking intervention field which needs more emphasis and further development.