authority had simply failed to process the case, and the case had not undergone any internal assessment until the AOB made its official enquiry. UNACCEPTABLY LONG CHILD SUPPORT PROCEEDINGS The AOB is repeatedly contacted in connection with family law and child support matters, because the individuals involved feel that pending court proceedings are taking too long. This is a sensitive area of the law, and in the interests of legal clarity, court proceedings and decisions need to be carried out in a timely manner. This is the only way to guarantee to citizens that proceedings will be of an appropriate duration, as defined in Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and that they can have confidence in the rule of law and a properly functioning judicial system. 28 Proceedings took three years Unfortunately, in its investigative proceedings the AOB has repeatedly encountered very serious delays in proceedings. In one instance, for example, representatives of youth welfare authorities petitioned the Donaustadt District Court for increased monthly child support to be paid by a father to his two daughters (who were minors). Ultimately the proceedings went on for three years. After eight months the proceedings were halted by the Donaustadt District Court, so that it could be determined whether the father was capable of participating in proceedings. Moreover, medical experts took six months to ascertain whether the father was capable of working; and the Donaustadt District Court took around five months to issue instructions to another expert to carry out the necessary assessment. The representatives of youth welfare authorities had to abandon their representation of the two daughters, as they had in the meantime come of age and were left to cope with this sensitive legal matter alone. Five months to obtain documents In March 2009 the Melk District Authority, acting on behalf of three minors in child support proceedings, petitioned the Ybbs District Court for increased child support. The court obtained all the necessary documents, but took five months to question the children’s father about the petition for increased child support.