Brussels, (Brussels Morning)- Five Brussels police zones are getting an Emergency Victim Assistance (EVA) cell to better support victims of domestic or sexual violence. The agents receive special training.
Participating in the project: Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (Brussels-West police zone), Etterbeek (Montgomery police zone), Evere (Brussels North police zone), Anderlecht (Midi police zone) and Ixelles (Brussels-Capital/Ixelles police zone). A total of 125,000 euros will be distributed, said State Secretary for Equal Opportunities Nawal Ben Hamou in a parliamentary answer to a question from Hilde Sabbe (one.brussels-Vooruit).
The EVA cell in Ixelles will be housed in the Boondaal police station, in the immediate vicinity of the ULB campus. Not an illogical place, because figures from the Care Center after Sexual Violence show that students in particular appear to be victims of sexual violence.
The EVA unit consists of police officers specially trained to accompany and interrogate victims of sexual violence, such as rape and assault. “Listening carefully and empathetically to the stories of the victims: that is the intention. Training provides for the learning of those skills,” says Ben Hamou.
In the meantime, 34 inspectors have already registered to follow the three-day training in January, with at least four officers per police zone. “A success,” said the State Secretary, who sees this interest as confirmation from the police to tackle the phenomenon seriously.
Parallel to the training, there is also a kind of campaign for the general reception services in police stations to recognize and deconstruct the main stereotypes related to domestic and sexual violence, it continues.
Ben Hamou also provides additional resources, for example to purchase terminals where the holder can take a ticket to be received for submitting a complaint. As a result, a victim does not have to explain aloud why this is the case, which can sometimes form a barrier to reporting the crime.
Balance ton bar
All the proposed measures are part of the action plan against sexual violence in the nightlife of the region, following the movement “Balance ton bar”. As part of this, stickers will also be distributed with the contact details of the Care Center after Sexual Violence.
“The fight against violence against women is a priority for the Brussels government,” says Ben Hamou. “The battle continues.”
