Report of the Austrian Ombudsman Board and Its
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I Annual Report on the activities of the Austrian National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) 2014 International Version Protection & Promotion of Human Rights Preface Since July 2012 the Austrian Ombudsman Board (AOB) fulfills the mandate to protect and promote human rights, granted to it under Austrian constitutional law. This report gives an account of the activities of the Austrian National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) in 2014. The Act on the Implementation of OPCAT (OPCAT-Durchführungsgesetz, Federal Law Gazette I, No. 1/2012) goes far beyond the mere implementation of the OPCAT and as the National Human Right Institution in Austria the AOB welcomes the significant extension of this mandate with regard to preventive work. This very broad preventive mandate includes a mandate as NPM according to OPCAT (Austrian Federal Constitution, Art. 148a subsection 1), a mandate as independent monitoring authority according to Art. 16 para. 3 CRPD (Austrian Federal Constitution, Art. 148a subsection 2) as well as a mandate to monitor and concomitantly examine the behavior of organs authorized to issue direct orders and carry out coercive measures (Austrian Federal Constitution, Art. 148a subsection 3). It was at the explicit request of civil society, that the task as an independent mechanism for the prevention of violence in accordance to Art. 16 para. 3 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was included in this mandate. It is our clear intention to comply with both, our mandate as NPM and as an independent authority according to Art. 16 para. 3 CRPD. The monitoring experience of the past years has shown that these tasks overlap as far as facilities are concerned. Our annual report therefore intentionally includes the monitoring of facilities dedicated to persons with disabilities, since they also fall within the scope of OPCAT (Art. 4). As regards its tasks as NPM, the AOB interprets Art. 4 OPCAT as broadly as possible. Several activities within its additional preventive mandate (especially according to Art. 148a subsection 3 of the Austrian Federal Constitution) may not only fall under the remit of the NPM (e.g. police conduct during demonstrations or police raids during controls of the immigration police). However, since Art. 148a subsection 3 clearly states that the NPM’s commissions are entitled to observe the behavior of law enforcement bodies during such events, we articulate the view that – with a view to protect and promote human rights in Austria – the NPM is obliged to carry out this mandate to its full potential. We would like to thank the commissions for their commitment during the numerous monitoring visits and the Human Rights Advisory Council for its advisory support. Our particular thanks go to our employees, who contributed significantly to the fulfilment of our constitutional mandate. Last but not least we would like to express our thanks to the Federal Ministries and other federal, regional and municipal bodies for their willingness to cooperate. Dr. Günther Kräuter Dr. Gertrude Brinek Dr. Peter Fichtenbauer Ombudsman Ombudswoman Ombudsman Vienna, June 2015 2 1 OVERVIEW OF THE NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM (NPM) ........................................... 7 1.1 Mandate .............................................................................................................................. 7 1.2 Monitoring and control visits in numbers ........................................................................... 8 1.3 Budget .................................................................................................................................. 10 1.4 Human resources ................................................................................................................ 11 1.4.1 Personnel ............................................................................................................ 11 1.4.2 Commissions ...................................................................................................... 11 1.4.3 Human Rights Advisory Council ......................................................................... 13 1.5 Procedure of control visits ................................................................................................... 15 1.6 Reports of the commissions ................................................................................................ 16 1.7 Report of the Human Rights Advisory Council .................................................................... 19 1.8 Further activities ................................................................................................................... 20 2 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................. 27 2.1 Retirement and nursing homes .......................................................................................... 27 2.1.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 27 2.1.2 System-related problem areas .......................................................................... 32 2.1.2.1 Medical care ...................................................................................... 32 2.1.2.2 Supply of medication ......................................................................... 33 2.1.2.3 Lack of staff during night shift ............................................................ 35 2.1.3 Intolerable living conditions ................................................................................ 36 2.1.4 Positive findings .................................................................................................. 37 2.2 Hospitals and psychiatric institutions and facilities ............................................................ 38 2.2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 38 2.2.2 System-related problem areas .......................................................................... 42 2.2.2.1 Evaluation of conditions for restrictions of freedom ......................... 42 2.2.2.2 Use of net beds in Austria is about to end ....................................... 43 2.2.2.3 Private security companies ................................................................ 44 2.2.2.4 Child and adolescent psychiatry in Austria – shortage in the training of specialists ................................................................... 46 2.2.3 Improper placement of a long-time patient in a psychiatric facility has been ended ............................................................................................ 49 2.2.4 Insufficient psychiatric beds................................................................................ 50 2.2.5 Physical restraint lasting several days ............................................................... 50 3 2.3 Institutions and facilities operated by child & youth welfare authorities ........................... 52 2.3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 52 2.3.2 System-related problem areas .......................................................................... 56 2.3.2.1 Prevention of violence – a monitoring priority................................... 56 2.3.2.2 Barrier-free accessibility ..................................................................... 57 2.3.2.3 Handling of medication ..................................................................... 57 2.3.2.4 Expansion of assistance for young adults necessary ....................... 58 2.3.2.5 Problems at the interface between institutions operated by child and youth welfare authorities and care for persons with disabilities .................................................................... 60 2.3.2.6 Facilities for unaccompanied minor refugees and asylum seekers ............................................................................................... 60 2.3.2.7 Placement of children in other Laender ............................................ 63 2.3.3 Structures in homes hamper pedagogical work ............................................... 64 2.3.4 Sexual self-determination requires protection .................................................. 66 2.3.5 Positive findings .................................................................................................. 67 2.4 Institutions and facilities for persons with disabilities......................................................... 68 2.4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 68 2.4.2 System-related problem areas .......................................................................... 71 2.4.2.1 Age-atypical restrictions of freedom of mentally disabled or mentally ill minors .......................................................................... 71 2.4.2.2 Deinstitutionalisation .......................................................................... 73 2.4.2.3 No care home agreements for persons with disabilities ................. 75 2.4.2.4 Occupational therapy workshops ..................................................... 76 2.4.2.5 Efficient representation of interests requires resources .................... 78 2.4.3 Isolation of a resident ......................................................................................... 80 2.4.4 Use of “time-out rooms” ....................................................................................