More cases of domestic violence

The Zug Police were called out 439 times for cases of domestic violence in 2018 - that's the highest number in the last five years. Reported cases and police interventions increased by around 25 percent between 2009 and 2016. At the same time, the responsible department is struggling with capacity bottlenecks. According to the Zug law enforcement agencies, contact could only be made since 2017 in cases in where domestic violence was demonstrably present. The SP (Socialist party) now wants to create resources for the Domestic Violence Unit by means of an initiative.

A look at the nationwide crime statistics shows that more than two-thirds of the victims of domestic violence are women. Data on the proportion of affected children is not collected in detail. However, those cases that are known to the police are recorded in the statistics of the Zug Police. According to this, 17 children between the ages of 0 and 14 were affected by domestic violence last year in the canton of Zug, being 11 boys and 6 girls. 15 children were involved in 2017.

The Child and Adult Protection Authority (Kesb) does not provide statistics on children affected by domestic violence. A circumstance that does not please the SP politicians. "Studies show that children who experience violence in their environment have the same problems in the long term as children who suffer violence on their own bodies," says Cantonal Councillor Barbara Gysel. In future cases of domestic violence, it would therefore be desirable to more accurately record the impact on children.