Harassment can now be reported in the city of Lucerne
As of now, incidents of harassment and assault in the city of Lucerne can be reported via an online form. The city hopes this online tool will make such incidents more visible and enable it to improve its prevention efforts.
With their Lucerne looks" project the city wants to shed light on the number of unreported cases of sexual and anti-queer assaults and harassment. At a media conference on Friday, city mayor Beat Züsli (SP) said that little is known about what really happens. Much is based on assumptions.
The city intends to evaluate the information from the reports on a regular basis. The tool will provide the city with information to develop prevention measures, said city security manager Christian Wandeler.
Need identified
For its "Luzern schaut hin" project, the city adopted a reporting form that is already used in Zurich and Bern, and took the basis of the campaign from Geneva. Lena Greber, Co-Head of the Gender Equality Office, said that in Zurich and Bern there are an average of two to 2.5 reports per day. This shows that there is a need.
In Zurich and Bern, it is mainly hostility related to gender or sexual orientation that is reported. Most incidents occur on the street or on public transport. These tend to be "annoying things" rather than criminal incidents, said Greber.
Anonymity is guaranteed
The form can be completed by both victims and witnesses. According to the city, they remain anonymous. The form records what happened, who harassed the person and when and where the incident took place. The purpose of the harassment is also recorded.
Reporting an incident is not the same as reporting it to the police. However, the reporters receive information on where they can get help or make a report.
Promoting civil courage
According to the city's press release, the campaign aims to bring about social change so that sexist, queer-hostile and sexualized violence as well as border crossings in public spaces are recognized and not tolerated. The promotion of civil courage is also part of the project, it said.
The city works with various organizations to ensure that the "Luzern schaut hin" campaign is broadly supported and well known. One of them is the Bar and Club Commission. (SDA)
