Facts
[A.] , born in 1931, was the victim of a purse snatching on March 21, 2011, in which she suffered a traumatic brain injury with a longitudinal fracture of the pyramid and a zygomatic contusion. As a result, she suffered from temporary hearing loss in her left ear and developed a post-traumatic stress disorder with anxiety, startle reactions, and avoidance behavior. [A.] filed a request for satisfaction and compensation with the Cantonal Victim Assistance Office of the Canton of Zurich. The Victim Assistance Office awarded her a satisfaction payment of 5,000 Swiss francs, but denied her claim for compensation. [A.] appealed this decision to the Social Insurance Court of the Canton of Zurich, which dismissed the appeal. [A.] then filed a public law appeal with the Federal Supreme Court, requesting a satisfaction payment of at least 50,000 Swiss francs.Considerations
The Federal Supreme Court dismissed the appeal. It stated that the lower court had not exceeded its discretion in determining the amount of satisfaction. The awarded satisfaction payment of 5,000 Swiss francs was within the range of what had been granted for comparable impairments under victim assistance law. While the appellant's post-traumatic stress…