Thefts are frequent

340 crimes: Hospitals, care homes and the like as crime scenes

Crimes also occur in hospitals, clinics and care facilities (symbolic image).

(Bild: upixa - stock.adobe.com)

If you go into a hospital, you should generally come out healthier. Sometimes, however, the opposite may be the case: In Upper Austria's hospitals, clinics and care facilities, there were 68 cases of bodily harm last year, one of which was even fatal.

This is the result of a parliamentary question from the FPÖ, which Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) answered with an evaluation of the police crime statistics.

The most frequent crimes were so-called acts against the property of others, i.e. theft, damage to property, robbery and fraud - 194 of these offenses were reported in 2023 (see chart below). In total, this resulted in 340 crimes in healthcare facilities. A slight increase on the 326 offenses in 2022, although there had already been more in 2020 with 346.

Crime in Upper Austria's hospitals, clinics and care facilities according to the parliamentary inquiry response.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV, stock.adobe.com)

How hospitals protect themselves
The FPÖ also asked about the nationality of the suspects: around a quarter were reported as "foreign". For comparison: in the overall population of Upper Austria, the proportion of non-citizens is around 15 percent.

In the hospitals of Gesundheitsholding - the largest hospital operator in the state, but certainly not the only one affected by criminal acts - the issue of verbal or even violent assaults has been addressed for years, according to a Krone inquiry.

This means that there is ongoing de-escalation training, training for managers and information events for employees. Technical safety measures are also in use, such as the so-called distress alarm, which is installed in certain areas and can be activated by employees in the event of danger.