The Commission has been active in drafting a document detailing the current state within the Community.
In the city of Giessen, a significant action month is approaching, aimed at raising awareness about sexual violence and providing support to victims. The Women's and Equality Offices of the City of Giessen are spearheading this campaign, which is part of the program for the International Day Against Violence.
The Hessian Ministry of Labor, Integration, Youth & Social Affairs is lending its support to this initiative, making Giessen one of the 14 model cities in Hesse participating in the project of the Frankfurt Women's Emergency Call e.V.
The campaign emphasizes the anonymous evidence securing aspect, giving victims the opportunity to take some distance and file a complaint with support. The evidence material will be stored for a year, and will only be handed over to the police for use in investigations when a complaint is filed.
The unique aspect of this project is that victims of sexual violence can anonymously have evidence secured within the framework of medical care. The medical care remains fundamentally confidential, and the hospital or counseling center cannot file a complaint against the victim's will.
The University Clinics of Giessen and Marburg, as well as the Forensic Institute at the Institute of Legal Medicine, are involved in the project. Victims will also have access to psychological and social care, provided by the intervention center against domestic violence of SKF e.V., Pro Familia Giessen e.V., Giessen Help e.V., and Wildwasser.
The pharmacy at Ludwigsplatz will cooperate with the campaign, and starting from September, a bus with a poster about the "Medical Immediate Help After Sexual Assault" project will be introduced. The campaign aims to provide victims with the opportunity to seek help and support without immediate police involvement.
The responsibility for sexual violence always lies with the perpetrator. The goal of the action month is to reinforce this message, emphasizing that sexual violence is never the victim's fault. The clothing, appearance, or behavior of the victim is not a factor in sexual violence.
The City of Giessen encourages everyone to support this campaign and stand together against sexual violence. Let's create a safer city for all.
