The Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) will be visiting Austria for its first ever monitoring visit from 28 November to 2 December, one of the steps in the procedure to monitor the implementation of the Istanbul Convention.
The Istanbul Convention, also known as Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, is based on the understanding that states must fully address gender-based violence in all its forms – and take measures to prevent such violence, protect its victims and prosecute the perpetrators.
The Austrian government is, the first to go through this initial exercise of country visits, and has been very co-operative in organizing this visit. Several NGOs also have contributed to the work of the monitoring group, allowing for participation of civil society.
GREVIO members who will visit Austria – Marceline Naudi, First Vice-President of GREVIO and Vesna Ratković – will be supported by two specialists: Sabine Kräuter-Stockton, senior public prosecutor from Germany and Louise Hooper, barrister from London, specialising in asylum law. Two members of the Council of Europe secretariat based in Strasbourg and two interpreters will also make up the group.
Meetings in Vienna and Graz will be held with a wide range of federal ministries and agencies, including Women Affairs and Health, Education, Interior and Justice, active members of law enforcement and the judiciary, and youth welfare offices. The group will visit a refugee reception facility (EAST Traiskirchen) to evaluate conditions of women migrants. Meetings with civil society and NGOs will include representatives of the different support services who do most of the counseling of victims of all forms of violence against women, lawyers, health professionals and academics.
Although no comment can be made on findings during the visits, GREVIO plans to publish its evaluation, along with an Austrian government reply, in mid-2017.
Link to the Press release in German
