Investigating human rights Determine causality According to the Act on Crime Victims, claims are considered if it can probably be assumed that treatment costs or a reduction in the capacity to work have occurred. In the expert opinion obtained from the Ministry of Social Affairs Service information on which illnesses are associated with the abuse suffered and which are not has to be provided. It must be traceable whether the health implications of abuse (causal damage to health) have influenced the career, or other factors or health problems have had an adverse effect on the career. Claimants reported to the AOB that they felt they were not taken seriously by the staff of the Ministry of Social Affairs Service or the experts. The rejection of their claims was often perceived as questioning the trauma they had suffered. In many cases, it was concluded that the trauma caused permanent health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorders, but an adverse effect on the career of the abuse victims was nearly always negated. The AOB criticised that some of the declaratory proceedings were executed poorly because concrete information on the crimes suffered had not been documented properly. Three-year processing time Those affected also found the duration of the proceedings both with the Ministry of Social Affairs Service and in the complaint proceedings at the Federal Administrative Court very stressful. In one case, an abuse victim who placed a claim for payment of a benefit pursuant to the Act on Crime Victims in September 2013 only received notification from the Ministry of Social Affairs Service in April 2016. Better understanding of victims of abuse The AOB thus repeats emphatically that more sensitivity and understanding are necessary for persons suffering from mental illnesses in particular. 2.2.2 Family and youth Family allowances and child care benefits - waiting time for family benefits violate EU law In the year under review, the AOB was repeatedly confronted with problems in Austrian administrative practice regarding the coordination of family allowances and child care benefits within the EU. The AOB has already addressed this matter repeatedly in previous years. Under the EU’s country of employment principle, family benefits are primarily received from the EU member state in which the parents are employed. In case of secondary responsibility, the other member state can be required to pay the difference (“equalisation payment”). Country of residence has to provide benefits temporarily 48 In the year under review, numerous families living in Austria contacted the AOB because they had already waited many months to be granted family allowances and child care benefits. The evaluations carried out by the authorities of different states can be very time-consuming. In most