The Examination Center for Victims of Violence at the Medical University of Vienna (Center for Forensic Medicine) provides documentation of injuries—including photographic documentation and evidence collection—following acts of violence.
It is mandatory to contact us by phone at the following number before any examination: 01 40160 35700
Affected persons can also contact us by Email (ugb@meduniwien.ac.at) however, in urgent cases, it is advisable to contact us by phone.
Current availability:
- Monday through Friday:
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Additional phone availability on weekends and holidays:
continuously from Friday at 4:00 p.m. until Monday at 8:00 a.m.
Physicians at the examination center do not treat injuries. However, those affected may contact us even if they have injuries that require treatment, and we will clarify during a phone call when and under what circumstances an examination can take place.
Who Is the Examination Center For?
The Examination Center is for victims of violence, regardless of age or gender. Examinations are easily accessible, independent of any legal proceedings, and free of charge for those affected. It is not necessary to file a police report in advance to receive an examination and counseling at the Examination Center. The Examination Center is impartial, and every examination is conducted without prejudice.
Possible reasons for contacting the examination center:
- domestic violence or violence within one’s immediate social circle
- sexual violence
- abuse during adulthood and childhood
- suspicion of being drugged
An examination conducted by our facility ensures objective documentation that is admissible in court, regardless of whether the affected person has decided to file a report or not at the time of the examination.
The documentation and the preserved evidence are retained for 10 years (starting from the age of majority).
Who may contact the examination center:
The examination center can be contacted easily and free of charge by
affected individuals and their family members or trusted persons to directly schedule an examination,
or by
- medical professionals,
- law enforcement agencies
- and victim assistance organizations
to arrange for a consultation or an examination.
Examination Procedure
Before the examination, you must always contact the examination center by phone. During this call, the urgency of the situation will be assessed and the location of the examination will be arranged.
If there are injuries requiring medical treatment or if a sexual offense has been reported, the examination will take place by appointment at a medical facility and will be assisted by a physician from the examination center on site.
If there are no injuries requiring medical treatment and the case does not involve a sexual offense, the examination may take place at the examination center’s premises (Zimmermannplatz 1, 1090 Vienna).
With the consent of the affected person, the following will be carried out
- complete documentation, in accordance with high professional standards, of any fresh or older injuries present,
- photographic documentation,
- and, if necessary, evidence collection (e.g., in cases of sexual offenses).
The physicians at the examination center are bound by medical confidentiality. In the case of injuries subject to mandatory reporting, the legal framework applies in the same way as for treatment in a doctor’s office or a medical facility.
In cases of sexual offenses or sexual violence, the examination will take place at a medical facility, with a few exceptions, and may be assisted by a physician from the examination center (documentation and evidence collection).
In cases that occurred less than 72 hours ago, we ask that you advise those affected of the following:
- Do not change clothes; instead, pack the clothing worn at the time of the incident, any textiles used to wipe oneself, and personal hygiene items in paper bags.
- If possible, do not wash yourself (do not wash your hands, shower, bathe, or wipe yourself).
- If possible, do not urinate and avoid eating or smoking until the examination.
If there is suspicion that knockout drugs have been administered, blood and urine samples can be collected within the first 72 hours after the incident to later confirm or rule out the ingestion of knockout drugs.
Even if the incident occurred more than 72 hours ago, you can still contact the testing facility. A joint decision will then be made as to whether and in what form testing and the collection of blood and urine samples are appropriate.
Services for Healthcare Professionals
The medical staff at the examination center are not only available to victims of violence but can also be contacted by phone by healthcare professionals.
- You will receive either telephone consultation or guidance, or
- a physician from the examination center visits the relevant medical facility promptly—depending on the circumstances of the case—and, in collaboration with the clinical staff and with the consent of the victim, documents the injuries and takes photographs on site; in cases of sexual offenses, for example, the physician also assists in the collection of evidence.
The trained staff at the forensic examination center also offer free training sessions for medical professionals on the topics of injury documentation, photographic documentation, and evidence collection.
The testing center's services are available in the Vienna area, Lower Austria, and northern Burgenland.
If you are interested in training courses, please contact us by E-Mail with the following information:
When contacting us about training courses, please include the following:
- Contact person (first name, last name)
- For which organization (and department, if applicable) is the training being requested?
- Preferred date (month, preferred day of the week)
- Time frame (duration of the training)
- Number of participants
- Target audience (medical staff, nursing staff, psychosocial professionals, students, investigative authorities)
- Desired content:
- Photographic documentation
- Evidence collection
- Introduction to the examination center
- Miscellaneous
- Is it generally possible to conduct the training online?
Medical University of Vienna
Examination Center for Victims of ViolenceZimmermannplatz 1
1090 Vienna, Austria
T: +43 (0)1 40160-35700
Email: ugb@meduniwien.ac.at