A suicide on railway tracks takes place every three days in Switzerland, according to the SBB. On the Friborg public transport network (TPF), there are two to three cases per year. Morat was notably the scene of a tragic accident last Wednesday.
“It was a surreal scene.” Witness to the accident, Séverine Dreyer was in front of the level crossing, when she helplessly witnessed the collision between a man and a train. The presence of many children in the surrounding area highlights the traumatic impact of such events on witnesses, particularly young people. “I informed the officer that children had left even though they had witnessed the entire scene. If they have no one to talk to, it’s a huge trauma,” says the witness.
Faced with such situations, emergency services offer psychological support. In this specific case, two volunteers from the Care Team du Lac et de la Singine were mobilized to help. This organization, which intervened 39 times in the canton in 2023, plays a crucial role in caring for people confronted with traumatic events. “Our main role is just to be present for the witnesses, to listen,” explains Nicole Degoumois, co-president of Care Team See/Lac & Sense. “The important thing in this kind of situation is not to leave as if nothing had happened but to talk about it so that you can digest it as best as possible.”
It should also be noted that train drivers facing these devastating situations benefit from psychological support. TPFs mainly collaborate with EMUPS, the Mobile Psychosocial Emergencies Team, to provide assistance to their employees affected by such experiences. Drivers are also removed from driving until they feel ready to get behind the wheel again.
