The City of Prague will provide a financial donation to the ProFem organisation to build a unique centre providing professional help for victims of domestic and sexual violence. Prague councillors approved the donation of CZK 1.3 million on Monday.
“Of course, it would be best if we didn’t need any such centres like proFem’s newly emerging PORT,” said the deputy mayor for social affairs, housing and healthcare, Alexandra Udženija. “Unfortunately, we live in a world where every other woman experiences sexual harassment or violence. And in such a situation, she should always be able to find a safe place to hide, and where they will help her. And we will have another such centre in Prague from January. This service deserves our support.”
The ProFem organization plans to build a centre for victims of domestic and sexual violence, which is currently lacking in Prague and the Central Bohemia region. In addition to the provision of services, the centre will also provide an opportunity to transfer expert knowledge in the provision and linking of complex services, on a Czech and also a European scale.
Clients of the centre will be able to access social services, crisis assistance, professional social counselling, legal counselling and representation, psychotherapeutic counselling, individual and group therapy, which the organisation already provides. Health services will also be available at the centre, including testing for sexually transmitted diseases. The centre can provide victims with the opportunity to collect and preserve material for evidence in case they wish to report their situation to the criminal authorities. There will also be a special interrogation room equipped for police investigations and, in the future, also crisis accommodation.
