Currently, women in need have to call the police first for help. That should change soon: with its own advice center for women’s emergency calls in Miesbach.
County - If there is a need, help should be just a phone call away. And yet the hurdle for many women is huge to actually take this step in the event of domestic violence. Especially if they cannot speak directly to a counselor but have to contact the police first. But this is exactly the case in the Miesbach district.
Because the Parity Welfare Association's women and girls emergency call only maintains a so-called intervention agency, genuine advice, such as in the neighboring district of Rosenheim, is not possible. But that could change soon. The district youth welfare committee unanimously gave a vote to set up a counseling center with ten hours a week. A grant of 13,400 euros had already been taken into account at the round table household, emphasized District Administrator Wolfgang Rzehak (Greens).
In the youth welfare committee, two representatives of the Rosenheim women's and girls' emergency call took the opportunity to present their work and plans for the Miesbach district. Gudrun Gallin explained that the goal of establishing a nationwide network for domestic and sexual violence has existed since the 2002 Act on the Protection of Violence. It was not until 2015 that an intervention agency with six hours a week was set up in a room at the Child Protection Association (KiBu) through a grant from the district in Miesbach. However, this may only take effect after the police have intervened and look after the clients for a maximum of four appointments.
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In order to open this bottleneck and thus create a low-threshold offer for women at risk of violence in Miesbach, an additional advice center based on the Rosenheim model must be set up, explained Christiane Cremer from the women and girls emergency call. The Free State grants a grant of 8,000 euros to the annual costs of 30,000 euros. If the district participates as planned, the remaining amount can be paid in-house.
The otherwise often difficult personnel search should not be an issue in Miesbach. Since Gallin wanted to reduce her hours anyway, she would take over the ten weekly hours in Miesbach, said Cremer. A real "jackpot", especially since the establishment of such a job requires an experienced force. "You can't take anyone fresh from the university."
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In any case, the need for advice is there, Cremer and Gallin made clear. According to a study, both advice and accommodation are scarce in the region. "The closest women's shelters in Rosenheim and Wolfratshausen are usually full," said Gallin. Wolfgang Hodbod, director of the Caritas Children's Village Irschenberg, confirmed this. Because of the lack of other places, the children's village from time to time welcomes women in need with their children in the staff apartments. Most cases remained unknown anyway, feared the chairman of the workers' welfare (AWO) in the district, Walter Sedlmayer. "The number of unreported cases is likely to be even higher."
The Vice-President of the Child Protection Association, Claudia Bernrieder, brought good news. They are currently checking whether the new advice center can also be accommodated in the KiBu rooms. "There could be synergy effects," said Bernrieder. With Gallin as an experienced consultant, the offer would be “under a good star”.
The district administrator shared this impression. Domestic violence exists in all strata of society, not only in social hotspots. "We don't live here on the Isle of the Blessed."
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