The first specialised centre for victims of sexual violence in Czechia, the PORT centre, is being established in Prague and will operate in the Brevnov district, offering crisis assistance, treatment, counselling and therapy, the organisation proFem, which builds and will run the facility, has told CTK.
The organisation plans to raise a total of 570,000 crowns for the completion in a two-month fundraising campaign that began today. Police receive about 600 rape reports a year. A research shows that only about 5 percent of cases are actually reported. Based on a recent report by the European anti-violence network WAWE, services for victims of sexual violence are not available in the Czech Republic as there is no help centre and no crisis line. The National Strategy for Gender Equality plans to establish services in four major cities as well as a crisis line and raise public awareness about the issue. The money for the centre and the other four facilities was provided by the Norway grants, it was also supported by several charity organisations and centres throughout Czechia.
Victims will receive crisis assistance at the newly established centre, which will provide them with a crisis flat, psychotherapy, social and legal counselling, as well as basic treatment and the collection and preservation of genetic samples for possible evidence proceedings along with mediation of legal representation.
