The law regarding domestic Violence in Switzerland has been changed. Now it is no longer necessary for the abused person to press charges. In the event of violence, the police are obliged to take action.

Emergency Police Number 117
This is a 24 hour service. It covers ALL cases of emergency. It will be necessary to explain that a case of domestic violence is being reported.

WOMEN:
Violence in Marriage and Partnership:
Frauenhaus (Women’s Safe Houses) in Switzerland.

Click on the small Union Jack on the right hand side for basic information in English.
On the left, there is a list of Cantons. Click on the Canton you live in and the Contact Telephone Number and an e-mail address in that area will be shown. The addresses of the Houses themselves are never given, to protect the women and children who find haven there.

Various organisations in Zurich which are able to help when needed.

Infodona: (Infodona - Beratungsstelle für Migrantinnen und Migranten) A councelling service for foreigners
Infodona
Langstr. 21
8004 Zürich
Tel 044 271 35 00
Fax 044 272 35 55
www.stadt-zuerich.ch/infodona

BIF (Beratungs- und Informationsstelle für Frauen) Advice and Information for Women, Counselling Information.
Councelling Information Service for Women
Tel 044 278 99 99
http://www.bif-frauenberatung.ch/bif/index.php

www.frauenberatung.ch
Castagna und Nottelefon Zürich

www.frauengegengewalt.ch
Beratungsstellen und Wohnräume für gewaltbetroffene Frauen und Mädchen - Advice and Accomodation for Abused Women and Girls

www.frauenhaus-schweiz.ch
Website der Schweizer Frauenhäuser mit Informationen über hüusliche Gewalt - Homepage of the Swiss Women's Safe Houses and Information about Domestic Violence.

www.frauennottelefon.ch(Text also in English) Women's Emergency Telephone
Nottelefon Winterthur

www.equality.ch

University Hospital Zurich
Social Service – A Nord 1/202
Frauenklinikstrasse 10
CH-8091 Zurich
Tel: 01 2555208
Telefax: 01 255 4727

(This service can be contacted to get more information on Maternity rights in the workplace, anti discrimination against females, etc.)


MEN:
www.mannebuero.ch
Beratungsstelle für Männer (Councelling Service for Men)

www.maennergewalt.ch


LEGAL HELP/INFORMATION
Most of the web pages are in German.

www.beobachter.ch (has an online help section - Covers most legal issues) (G)

http://www.anwaltskollektiv.ch/ (G/E)
(You pay a subsidised rate of 60CHF for the first consultation)

http://www.humanrights.ch/cms/front_content.php?idcat=74 (G/E/F)

http://kidscorner.ch/beratung/ (G)

http://www.bwo.admin.ch/mietrecht/00241/index.html?lang=de&PHPSESSID=7a4ff14bd6d3238af87d9 39ce514d542 (G/F/I)


Swiss Labour Law: http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/sr/8/822.11.de.pdf

http://www.umwelt-schweiz.ch/buwal/eng/fachgebiete/fg_laerm/rechtsgrundlagen/index.html

Hi Lotty,

you can find some information on this site. If you select each area there is a PDF in English. The help centers in VS are listed here

Hope this helps.

Domestic violence was made an "Offizialdelikt" recently, the authorities have to investigate it even when the suspected victim doesn't make a report. The above adresses are additional services for victims and sometimes funded or supported by public authorities.

A great point of help for alcoholics is ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS AA:




A.A. de Suisse Romande
Et Italienne
Case Postal 5
Geneve 13 Switzerland 1211
Phone/fax: 41-022-344-3322
E-mail: info@aasri.org
http://www.aasri.org



Anonyme Alkoholiker Schweiz
Zentrale Dienststelle
Wehntalerstr. 560
8046 Zurich, Switzerland
Phone:

A very useful site if you're in a binational marriage is http://www.binational.ch The information on the website and the links provided are invaluable in a host of situations.

Some other Emergency Numbers:

112 European emergency number (also from a mobile)

117 Police

118 Fire brigade

144 Ambulance

145 Poisonings

1414 Rescue helecopter

(Last week my toddler swallowed my prescription medication (strong stuff). I (casually) called the hospital emergency number. The previously monotone woman at the other end shrieked at me to call the toxicological institute 145.. oops(!) Shes ok now..-my daughter - i dont know about the receptionist.)

There are literally hundreds of Self-Help Groups in Switzerland

Through this link, by clicking on the canton, you can find further details.
This information is in German but there may well be help in English too. Worth trying.

New link (?) for the Frauenhaus site:

https://frauenhaus-schweiz.ch/

I recently found this series of official Swiss government brochures. They are not available in English, but I link to them here, anyway. They contain explanations of the laws and also the thinking and practice (not only legal, but in homes, police, schools, etc.) around various aspects of domestic violence, including some points about the the Swiss official Child and Adult Protection Agency (called KESB in German: Kinder- und Erwachseneschutzbehörde; ABEA in French: Autorité de protection de l'enfant et de l'adulte, in Italian: Autorità Regionale di Protezione ).

I could imagine that some of these brochures could be useful to help focus the main points, if one were needing to construct an argument with a lawyer.

https://www.ebg.admin.ch/ebg/de/home...he-gewalt.html (German)

https://www.ebg.admin.ch/ebg/fr/home...omestique.html (French)

https://www.ebg.admin.ch/ebg/it/home...domestica.html (Italian)