Vienna juvenile out‑of‑home pilot criticised for serious flaws

Forensic child psychiatrist Patrick Frottier has sharply criticised the newly launched Viennese “Auszeit‑WG” for intensive offenders under 14, calling the concept paper riddled with “grave professional deficiencies”. The Austrian Association of Social Work (OBDS) issued a similar assessment.

The pilot, run by the non‑profit „neue wege“ under the city’s children‑and‑youth welfare department (MA 11), costs almost €1 million a year and began in mid‑July. It offers six‑week stays at the “Auszeithaus Simmering” with a possible extension of another six weeks, but Frottier warns that such short periods are insufficient for meaningful behavioural change and that coercive measures are ineffective. He also warned that staff training limited to self‑defence and restraint techniques could be “potentially dangerous” for both children and personnel.

Frottier’s comments suggest that the project will likely serve fewer children than advertised and may need longer, more intensive interventions to achieve its aims.