The 142 victim support service went live on May 1, 2026.
Keystone-SDA
The new national victim support helpline, 142, logged over 11,000 calls between its launch on May 1, 2026, and the end of September.
Most calls were made during the day, Remo Dörig of the Conference of Cantonal Directors of Social Affairs told the Keystone-SDA news agency. While the 142 service is free and accessible 24 hours a day, it has seen little use during the night so far.
The regional distribution of calls roughly maps to the population size of each canton. However, Dörig pointed out, the initial figures do not reveal the exact number of individuals who sought help.
During office hours, 142 staff members forward calls to relevant cantonal services. Outside of these hours, calls are handled by partner organisations. Existing cantonal victim support helplines remain active alongside the new service, except in canton Ticino.
Via this free and confidential helpline, Switzerland implemented a provision of the Istanbul Convention, which aims to combat violence against women.
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Translated from Italian, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
