Government of Switzerland turned in its second report on violence against women to the Council of Europe, showing that domestic violence cases shot up 6% in 2024 to over 21,000 recorded crimes, according to a Swiss government announcement. The Federal Council approved the report on September 26, covering what’s happened since 2021 under the Istanbul Convention.
One woman dies every two weeks from this kind of violence in Switzerland. So far in 2025, the number of women killed has been really high. Women account for almost 70% of domestic violence victims, and kids get hurt too when there’s violence at home. The report answers recommendations from the Council of Europe’s expert committee after Switzerland’s first report in 2021.
Switzerland signed the Istanbul Convention in 2018, promising to do better at preventing violence, protecting victims, and prosecuting attackers. But the numbers show the problem isn’t going away. Police recorded 21,127 domestic violence crimes in 2024, continuing a trend that worries officials and women’s groups.
The government has ramped up efforts since 2022. It adopted a National Action Plan running through 2026 and set up minimum training rules for professionals who handle violence cases. Big legal changes include fixing criminal law on sexual crimes, civil measures against child marriage, and new residence rights for domestic violence victims. Switzerland is also adding a specific stalking law to its criminal code. The report says digital violence is becoming a bigger part of domestic abuse cases.
Switzerland plans to launch its first national campaign against domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence in November. A three-digit victim support hotline starts in May 2026. The country will do its first national violence survey in 2027.
The rising numbers show Switzerland still has lots of work to do protecting women despite taking concrete steps.
