Sexual violence: women take more than three years to seek help

BarcelonaIt can take up to three months for a victim of sexual violence in Barcelona to receive specialized care or treatment after seeking help. This is an "excessive" amount of time, emphasizes the local Ombudsman, David Bondia, in his report, which analyzes the workings of the specialized service system for responding to female survivors. The report, presented this Tuesday at the institution's headquarters, concludes that the services are not adequately sized to meet the demand.steady increase in sexual assaults recorded every year "This increase in complaints has overwhelmed the system in the city of Barcelona," Bondia admitted during her speech, in which she called for more resources and more staff to cope. But, in addition, this system is better prepared—or better suited—to assist recent victims of violence than to assist the majority of users: those who seek help months or even years after the assault occurred. The distrust in the system, fear of the aggressor The fear of not being believed, the normalization of aggression, or shame are factors that explain why Less than 10% of survivors report the assaults

Based on a survey of professionals in specialized services, the ombudsman clearly explains the dynamics of sexual violence and the behavior of a victim. He indicates that women can take years to decide to seek help to overcome the trauma or find a refuge that allows them to get away from the aggressor: on average, three years and three months to receive assistance at one of the specialized social services available in the city of Barcelona. The delay doubles—to seven years—to reach an organization, and on average it is 1.2 years if seeking healthcare.

Speed in medical tests

It is this older violence that the ombudsman sees as most neglected, because when it comes to a recent attack, the mechanisms are clearer and more dynamic. A clear example of this agility is in medical care at referral hospitals –the Adult Clinic, The Vall d'Hebron Children's Hospital—which must visit patients within 72 hours of the attack.

Another issue is violence that is not recent. Here, the ombudsman warns that the system is convoluted, and insists that due to this lack of coordination, women go from one place to another without receiving adequate help and are referred multiple times. On average, these survivors go through three services before finding care, and in 6% of cases, they have been referred to 10 different resources. This situation "revictimizes" these women, Bondia emphasizes. Revictimization is the harm caused by having to relive the assault, explaining the details again and again because it makes the woman relive the trauma, the fear, or the guilt. According to the ombudsman, it also leads a significant number to choose to give up and abandon psychological treatment before being discharged.

Another major flaw in the system is the lack of housing options for victims. According to Bondia, this shortage means that women remain in emergency shelters longer than recommended due to a lack of alternatives. Furthermore, the report also indicates a lack of residential resources for women with addictions or serious mental disorders. In the report, the ombudsman also examines the working conditions of professionals in specialized services and finds that, due to the increased demand, many are overwhelmed by their workload.