Only 12.7 per cent of rapes in Styria result in conviction
In 2024, 142 rapes were reported in Styria, but only 18 perpetrators were convicted. Experts are calling for swift action following assaults.
Acquittal instead of conviction: Styria's disheartening rape statistics
According to Kleine Zeitung, 142 rapes were reported in Styria in 2024 – however, only 18 cases resulted in final convictions, which corresponds to a rate of 12.7 per cent. All those convicted were men.
A case involving a student at the United States-based Cornell University recently provoked global outrage: the woman became a victim of gang rape by seven fellow students in 2024, for which there were largely no legal consequences. Fifty members of a Snapchat group are said to have known about the act. Marion Egger from the Violence Protection Centre Styria emphasises that this is not an isolated incident. "These perpetrators feel entitled to select a victim and inflict this form of violence," she says.
Egger attributes the low conviction rate primarily to the principle of "in case of doubt, in favour of the accused". "When witnesses and evidence are lacking, it becomes a case of one person's word against another's. One must imagine what a blow to the face an acquittal is for a victim." Many affected individuals would not report assaults in the first place – out of shame, according to Egger. This means that the actual scale of sexual violence is scarcely measurable.
An Austria-wide prevalence study from 2022 confirms the scale of the problem. Sarah Heinze, Professor of Forensic Medicine at MedUni Graz, points out that approximately one-quarter of women aged 18 to 74 report having experienced sexual violence in their lives. Around eleven per cent were victims of attempted or completed rape.
Heinze and Egger both emphasise how important it is to contact a violence emergency clinic as quickly as possible following a sexual assault in order to secure evidence. "In such situations, rational decisions are difficult. The first reflex is usually to shower and wash one's clothes," says Egger – in the process destroying crucial evidence. According to Heinze, swabs are taken in suspected cases up to 72 hours after the incident, and in exceptional cases even later.
With drink-spiking drugs, the time window is even shorter. "Most substances are broken down rapidly and are therefore only detectable for a few hours," Heinze explains. She recommends calling the violence emergency clinic immediately: "We then ascertain as quickly as possible over the phone what measures are needed." A preliminary conversation also makes it possible to avoid multiple examinations and repeated recounting of the experience. In addition to forensic examinations, the violence emergency clinic also provides information about victim assistance as well as psychological and legal counselling services. A caseworker accompanies affected individuals to appointments if desired.
Egger concludes by quoting Gisèle Pelicot, who was a victim of sexual violence for years: "Shame must change sides." And she adds: "We as the public must speak up."
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Support services: - Violence emergency clinic: 0664 84 38 241 - Violence Protection Centre Styria: 0316 77 41 99 - Counselling service TARA: 0316 31 80 77
Source: Kleine Zeitung