Politics Some cantons are ill-prepared for the new criminal law on sexual offenses

Some cantons are inadequately prepared for the implementation of the new criminal law on sexual offenses at the beginning of July. According to a report, there is a lack of support for victims and forensic evidence, among other things.

The think tank Reatch reported on Monday that there is a lack of important training and further education, particularly for police and hospital specialists. In collaboration with the think tank, a research group conducted a survey of cantonal administrations and professional associations.

With the revised criminal law on sexual offenses, which comes into force on July 1, the principle of "no means no" now applies. Rape is therefore deemed to have occurred if a victim has made their refusal clear, for example through words, gestures or by freezing. It is no longer necessary for the victim to fight back.

German-speaking Switzerland lags behind

According to the report, the cantons of Bern, Jura, Uri, Vaud and Valais have already taken measures or are in the process of doing so. In other cantons, however, including Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Glarus and Obwalden, there are hardly any efforts, as the researchers noted in the report. The bottom line is that the cantons in French-speaking Switzerland are already further along with the measures they have taken than German-speaking Switzerland.

In addition to shortcomings in securing evidence, victims often have to take care of the coordination between the contact points and authorities themselves, whereby there is often a lack of trust in the latter in particular. Furthermore, the data available on the topic of sexualized violence in Switzerland is poor and there are many rape myths in society. There is also a lack of opportunities for male victims, with support primarily geared towards women.

SDA