First center dedicated to sexual violence victims opens in Prague

Czech NGO, proFem, inaugurated its first dedicated center for victims of sexual violence in the Czech Republic today. The PORT center, located in Prague's Břevnov district, is set to commence full operations on Jan. 22, offering a range of important services to survivors of sexual violence.

The PORT center aims to provide crisis assistance, treatment, counseling, and therapy to victims. The organization is gradually rolling out services, relying on subsidies from the state, local governments, donors, and grants. "All our services are free of charge and are guided by the principles of trust, impartiality, discretion, and independence," proFem writes on its website.

The range of services includes psychotherapy, social and legal counseling, basic treatment, and the collection of genetic samples for potential legal evidence. The center plans to start operations at the end of February and early March, with additional facilities such as a police questioning room and a crisis apartment becoming available in April or May.

ProFem director Jitka Poláková stressed the lasting psychological effects of trauma and the lack of existing services for victims. "Medicine will treat the physical effects, but the psychological ones are for life," she said. The PORT center, staffed exclusively by women, will cater to individuals over 16 years of age, including both women and men.

In a press conference today, Poláková emphasized the pressing need for such services, revealing that 54 percent of Czech women have experienced sexual harassment or violence.

Last year alone, victims reported over 900 rape cases, marking an annual record high in the country.

Efforts are underway to secure permanent and sustainable funding for specialized services. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is crafting an amendment on social services to establish a secure funding mechanism.

The facility, which can potentially aid thousands annually, faces a funding gap of CZK 18 million for its yearly operation. Government Human Rights Commissioner Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková highlighted the urgency for a well-established financing system to support these essential services.

A report from the Women Against Violence Europe network highlighted the absence of services for sexual violence victims in the Czech Republic, emphasizing the need for a crisis line and public awareness, as outlined in the national strategy for gender equality.

As the PORT center takes its first steps towards aiding survivors, the focus remains on securing consistent funding and integrating psychosocial and crisis services into the system, relieving organizations from annual financial uncertainties.

The center aims to fill critical gaps in Czechia's sexual violence support system and inadequate care for victims. PORT will help women who may feel isolated or deserted by Czechia's continual failure to ratify the Istanbul Convention – one of only a handful of EU countries to not do so yet. Czechia is currently working to amend its legal definition of rape: from forcible sexual intercourse to non-consensual intercourse.