Woman about her trauma

Violence in the delivery room: “Thought I was going to die”

Violence in obstetrics is a common problem - even in Austria.(Bild: Olga Yastremska, New Africa, Africa Studio)

Studies suggest that up to 50 percent of all mothers have experienced violence from doctors and midwives during the delivery of their child. This ranges from disparaging remarks to physical assaults. Krone+ sheds light on the topic in a three-part series.

77,296 births were registered in Austria in 2023. How many of these involved one or more experiences of violence does not appear in any statistics. However, this is a global problem on a large scale. In Germany, for example, it is estimated that around one in two women experience verbal or physical violence during childbirth. In the USA, 17 percent of women giving birth stated that they were affected.

No figures are available for Austria, as the topic is taboo. However, we have one thing in common with the other countries mentioned: childbirth is usually carried out in hospital and under medical supervision. This means that the majority of children in Austria are born in hospital. According to Statistics Austria, this was 98.1 percent in 2022. 

Are you ...

... experienced violence during the birth of your child in the delivery room? Send us your description to [e-mail]! We will continue to highlight the issue.

The hospital - a safe place?
Many women feel safest in hospital, as they have all the means at their disposal to intervene quickly in an emergency. There is access to painkillers and a caesarean section can be performed if necessary. And if the child needs medical help after birth, it can be taken to the neonatal ward.

These were also the thoughts of Anna, 27 years old, from Lower Austria. She would like to speak anonymously about her ordeal. "I would never have expected what was done to me in hospital," she says.