In Belgium , official police statistics show that around 11 rapes per day were reported to police in 2021. However, according to the 2018 Security Monitor, around 82% of sexual assaults and rapes go unreported and are therefore not included in police and Justice statistics. The most recent prevalence survey in Belgium in 2021 shows that 16% of women and 5% of men have been victims of rape in their lifetime[1] This violence has a significant impact on victims’ mental, sexual and physical health and requires integrated medical, medico-legal and legal care.
Sexual Assault Centres were established in Belgium to provide a response and assistance to victims of sexual violence and to implement Article 25 of the Istanbul Convention. In late 2017, three Sexual Assault Centres were opened in the judicial districts of Brussels, Liège and East Flanders. In 2021, two new centres were opened: one in Antwerp and one in Charleroi. Centres in West Flanders and Leuven opened in 2022 and in 2023 centres opened in Namur, in Luxembourg and Limburg. Located in a hospital, these SSG are funded by the Institute for Gender Equality and by the FPS Public Health.
Each SAC welcomes victims 7 days a week and 24/7 and has forensic nurses, a psychologist, a doctor, a coordinator and an administrative assistant.
The centre works with police vice inspectors, who have a room at the SAC to file reports. The SAC also works with prosecutors to follow up on reports[2] .
More information: https://cpvs.belgium.be/fr
Some figures[3] :
3,287 reports
by sexual assault victims in 2022
Evolution in number of reports of victims of sexual violence
[1]Keygnaert I., et al. (2021). UN-MENAMAIS: Een beter begrip van de Mechanismes, Aard, Omvang en Impact van Seksueel Geweld in België. Gent: UGent. Geraadpleegd op 1 oktober 2023, van https://www.ugent.be/nl/actueel/bijlagen/seksueel-geweld-belgie-aanbevelingen-1
[2] Zorgcentra seksueel geweld: het model ZSG [Sexual Assault Centres: the SAC model] (2021 edition). Brussels: Institute for the equality of women and men. Accessed on 1 October 2023, from https://zsg.belgium.be/nl
[3]Fomenko E., Baert S. & Keynaert I. (2022). Zorgcentra seksueel geweld in België: Evolutief rapport 2021 [Sexual Assault Centres in Belgium: Progress report 2021]. Ghent University- ICRH. Accessed on 1 October 2023 at https://www.icrhb.org/nl/publicaties/8755724