After a home invasion: insurance, practical steps and victim support in Switzerland

After a violent intrusion, you do not need to resolve everything immediately. The priority is getting people to safety and obtaining the help needed. Evidence gathering, an insurance claim and repairs come afterwards, with support from the relevant people.

If danger persists, call the police on 117. For a medical emergency, call 144. 142 is the victim support number; it is not an emergency response service. Source: Victim Support Switzerland.

Stay safe and let the police organise evidence gathering

Do not return to the home to check whether the offenders have left, and do not search the rooms for them. Tell the police what you know and follow their instructions. If someone needs medical care, say so when you call.

Bern police recommend entering the scene only when absolutely necessary and not touching items that may hold evidence. Protecting people and emergency assistance remain the priority. Source: Bern cantonal police.

You can write down the facts you remember without trying to fill in missing details. Distinguish what you observed from what someone told you. If several people experienced the event, let each describe their recollections in their own words.

Share practical tasks so you do not carry everything alone

A trusted person can help organise calls or documents. Give them a limited task, such as keeping contact references, rather than indiscriminately sharing all your digital access.

This table is not a mandatory timetable. The seriousness of the situation, police instructions and occupants’ needs determine the actual order.

Report the loss without waiting for a perfect inventory

Contact your insurer promptly to find out the procedures and deadlines in your contract. Explain the facts accurately, including any threats or violence, without trying to choose the legal or insurance classification yourself.

Contracts may distinguish burglary, robbery, building damage and household belongings. The absence of a forced lock therefore does not, on its own, establish that there is no cover. La Mobilière describes robbery in particular as theft involving violence or threats; compensation nevertheless depends on the contract concerned. Source: distinctions explained by La Mobilière.

Ask the insurer which evidence to provide, which urgent measures to take and which work requires approval. Clarify deductibles, limits and any restrictions applicable to the items involved. A general commercial description does not replace an answer about your insurance policy.

Prepare useful documents gradually

Once police allow activity at the scene, make a provisional list of missing items and damage. Invoices, photos, references and serial numbers can help document the case. La Mobilière recommends gathering supporting evidence and coordinating steps after a burglary. Source: guide to the aftermath of a burglary.

Create one folder containing exchanges, references, expenses and documents submitted. Note when each item was sent. If information is uncertain, say so: a clearly labelled provisional inventory is better than an estimate presented as certainty.

Before permanent repairs, coordinate with the police, insurer and, depending on the home, owner or property manager. Urgent securing of the premises and preservation of evidence must be reconciled with their instructions.

Keys, cards, badges and accounts: address what was actually compromised

List access methods stolen or potentially disclosed: keys, badges, remotes, bank cards or accounts accessible from a stolen device. Contact the relevant organisations to block or replace these according to their procedures.

If a phone was stolen, consider the access it enabled, including access to your home. Ask the provider how to revoke a session or user without disrupting the whole system. Have completed actions confirmed and keep the references.

You do not need to publish an account of the event to ask for help. Share sensitive details only with the people and organisations that need them.

Preserve footage for authorised people

If a camera or alarm recorded the event, tell the police. Ask how to preserve and transfer relevant material, especially if automatic deletion is approaching. Keep available original files and avoid altering them.

The FDPIC advises against publicly sharing images of people suspected of an offence; relevant material should be handed to the police. Source: FDPIC. A social media appeal for identification can also expose third parties and make the situation harder to manage.

Ask for help even if you have not filed a complaint

Victim support is available in particular to people whose physical, psychological or sexual integrity has been harmed by an offence. It may also concern their relatives. You do not need to know the offender or already have filed a complaint to seek advice. Source: eligibility for victim support.

Centres can guide you on psychological, social and legal needs and the assistance available for your situation. Support is confidential. 142, available free of charge around the clock, provides initial guidance; you can also directly find a support centre.

You do not have to wait until you can give a complete account before getting in touch. A relative can also ask how to support you without imposing a pace or decisions.

Review your home’s protection when you are ready

Making the home secure again may be urgent; a complete project needs more perspective. Separate necessary repairs from purchases intended to reassure you immediately. Prevention advice and a written comparison of options can help you decide.

When the time is right, our home invasion guide for Switzerland and article on doors, windows and the garage can help. You can proceed in stages, supported by people you trust.

If you later want help reviewing your system, our villa protection assessment can help prioritise improvements. This prevention process is separate from urgent repairs and victim support.