Austria’s National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) has now published the English version of its 2025 Annual Report and submitted it to the relevant international organisations to mark the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. “The report provides a good overview of the human rights situation in Austria’s care homes and psychiatric institutions, as well as in residential facilities for people with disabilities, in shared accommodation for children and young people, and, of course, in prisons and police detention centres,” said Bernhard Achitz, the Ombudsman responsible for international affairs.
Identifying and preventing human rights violations at an early stage
The activities of the Austrian National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) focus on the early identification and elimination of risk factors for human rights violations. To this end, the commissions that, together with the Ombudsman’s Office, form the NPM, carried out numerous visits to facilities where restrictions on liberty may potentially occur.
In carrying out its tasks to protect and promote human rights, the NPM is bound by international guidelines. Above all, human rights guarantees set out in the UN Convention, as well as international standards developed by the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture (SPT) and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT). Achitz: “To carry out these tasks effectively, a regular exchange of experiences at international level is particularly important. The Ombudsman’s Office has therefore submitted its 2025 report on preventive human rights monitoring to the UN Subcommittee and the CPT.” The report is available in German and English:
423 inspections, almost always unannounced
In 2025, the commissions carried out 423 inspections across Austria. 97% of the visits took place in institutions, whilst 3% involved the observation of police operations. As a rule, the inspections were unannounced; only 5% were announced in advance.
The majority of the 413 inspections of institutions took place in so-called ‘less traditional places of detention’. These include over 5,300 different locations such as care homes for the elderly, child and youth welfare facilities, and facilities for people with disabilities. The commissions carried out 292 visits to these types of facilities, 100 of which were inspections of facilities for people with disabilities. “The high number of visits is important for ensuring that facilities are inspected regularly and comprehensively,” said Ombudsman Achitz.
