Current care for victims of sexual violence and future sexual assault care centres in Belgium: the perspective of victims

Abstract

Background Sexual violence is a global health problem. After ratifying the Convention of Istanbul in 2016, this Belgian study was set up to map the perspective of victims of rape on the current sexual violence care provision in Belgium and to inquire on their need for more specialised and holistic care in future Sexual Assault Care Centres. Methods Sixteen rape victims participated in this sub-study. A mixed-method design (questionnaire, in-depth interview or small focus group) was applied depending on the time elapsed between rape and participation. Descriptive Thematic Framework Analysis was performed in duo. Results The participants thought it of utmost importance that every victim should receive all medical, psychological and forensic care without necessarily having to involve the police first. They stated that the current Belgian sexual violence care provision could be much more patient-centred, specifically the forensic examination and psychological care. Alongside medical and psychological consequences, victims emphasised the high personal financial and relational burden of sexual violence. The holistic care offered in Sexual Assault Care Centres was perceived to enhance the recovery process of victims of sexual violence. Their doors should be open to all victims and their relatives. They should not only provide acute care for the victim, but also improve victims’ reintegration into society while reducing their personal costs significantly. Conclusion All care for victims of sexual violence, especially forensic and psychological care, needs drastic improvement in Belgium. All participants agreed that having specialised, multidisciplinary and longitudinal care in a Sexual Assault Care Centre that would be open 24/7 for everyone, victims and their significant others, would be an improvement to the currently available care all over Belgium. Trial registration This research was registered on April 1st 2016. Registration number B670201628242.

Migrant experiences of sexual and gender based violence: a critical interpretative synthesis

“…Migrants are a significant sub-group among those that seek post-GBV care, with studies finding that up to a-fifth of those in Belgium GBV clinics are migrants [ 72 ]. Particularly for females, unwanted pregnancies and gynecological health are usually focused on as a push factor for self-disclosure and seeking help.…”

Piloting sexual assault care centres in Belgium: who do they reach and what care is offered?

“…Thirdly, only half of the victims consulted the psychologist, with a median of two contacts. This suggests that few victims engage in a longer trauma-focused therapy, despite the fact that victims expressed a clear need for such free support during the Belgian SACC feasibility study (Peeters et al, 2019). There are several hypotheses that may explain this low uptake of psychological support services.…”

“…Many hospitals lack standardized protocols, and health care workers are often short of knowledge and experience in dealing with these victims (Gilles et al, 2019;Gilles, Van Loo, & Rozenberg, 2010;. Rape victims deplore the absence of patient-centred services, the lack of services free of charge, the necessity for police involvement in order to get a forensic examination which is generally experienced as traumatizing and invasive, and the absence of longer-term follow-up care (Peeters et al, 2019). Additionally, as few as 10% of Belgian SA cases are estimated to be reported to the police (Veiligheidsmonitor België 2008-2009) and a minority of victims seeks medical care (Roelens, Verstraelen, Van Egmond, & Temmerman, 2008).…”

“…Belgium's ratification of the Convention of Istanbul in 2016 (Europe Co, 2011), obliges its governments to develop appropriate care for victims of SA. A feasibility study (Hendriks et al, 2018;Peeters et al, 2019;Vandenberghe et al, 2018), including a broad consultation of stakeholders, such as victims, health care workers, police officers and prosecutors, generated the development of a model of Sexual Assault Care Centres (SACCs) adapted to the Belgian context. Subsequently, from October 2017 until October 2018, the SACCs were piloted in three cities representative for the main regions in Belgium: Ghent for Flanders, Brussels for the Brussels region and Liège for Wallonia.…”

Towards a more integrated and gender-sensitive care delivery for victims of sexual assault: key findings and recommendations from the Belgian sexual assault care centre feasibility study

“…To date, 33 Council of Europe member states have ratified the Convention of Istanbul and herewith committed themselves to develop this kind of integrated and multi-agency support framework, most suited to their individual health and judiciary system [ 35 ]. After Belgium joined in 2016, the Belgian Federal Secretary of State of Equal Opportunities commissioned to investigate the feasibility of a Belgian sexual assault centre model, actively involving health professionals, police and judiciary system representatives, as well as victims themselves [ 36 , 37 ]. The resulting Sexual Assault Care Centre model, inspired by the leading examples of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and the United States, was consecutively piloted in 2017–2018 in the Belgian cities of Ghent, Brussels and Liege [ 38 – 46 ].…”