VICTIM OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE?
You can get help.
Even if it started with a swipe.
After a sexual assault, it's important to act fast: A specialist team in the Emergency Room is ready to listen, support and provide care.
Need help?
If you're a victim of sexual violence, regardless of your age or gender, you can go to the Emergency Room:
→ To receive medical care, a health check and appropriate follow-up care
→ To preserve forensic evidence for possible legal proceedings
Hospital Emergency Rooms welcome victims 24/7 in complete confidentiality and without any obligation to report the incident.
Why should I urgently go to the hospital?
After a sexual assault, receiving medical care and establishing a medico-legal report is considered a medical emergency.
After a sexual assault, receiving medical care and establishing a medico-legal report is considered a medical emergency.
Which emergency department should I go to?
If you are in the cantons of Neuchâtel, Fribourg or Jura, you can find more information in the FAQ.
Why should I urgently go to the hospital?
After a sexual assault, receiving medical care and establishing a medico-legal report is considered a medical emergency.
After a sexual assault, receiving medical care and establishing a medico-legal report is considered a medical emergency.
Confidentiality
All medical findings remain strictly confidential. No information is passed on without the written consent of the victim. Specific provisions apply in the case of minors in order to ensure their protection.
Going to the hospital does not entail having to report the incident. The treatment received is free.
Advice
For optimal treatment and to maximise the preservation of forensic evidence, it is best:
To seek medical help as soon as possible,
Not to wash or brush your teeth, not to eat or drink before the examination
To keep the clothes you were wearing in separate paper bags (avoid plastic bags)
What are the risks of not seeking urgent medical care?
DISAPPEARANCE OF EVIDENCE
This makes a potential legal case more challenging.
INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL INJURIES
Some injuries may require urgent treatment.
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS (STI)
Certain preventive treatments must be administered promptly.
UNWANTED PREGNANCY
Emergency contraception is most effective in the first few hours.
PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT
Early support helps reduce long-term effects.
What is sexual violence?
Definition
Sexual violence refers to an unwanted sexual act resulting from physical force, threats, coercion, intimidation, deception, use of drugs or alcohol, or abuse of a position of vulnerability.
Source: European Commission
Myth
"If the victim didn't resist, it's not an assault."
Reality
The absence of resistance does not mean consent.
Myth
"Sexual assaults are committed by strangers."
Reality
The majority of assaults are committed by someone known to the victim.
After an assault,
it is normal to feel...
The decision to talk about the incident or to report it to the police is a personal one
But going to the hospital is the most important thing you can do for immediate protection.
of perpetrators are known to the victim.
of sexual assaults involve alcohol or drugs
of assaults take place in the victim's home or the home of the perpetrator.
How is care provided?
WELCOME AND SUPPORT
A gynaecologist, emergency doctor or forensic examiner will listen to you and quickly tailor your care.
MEDICAL EXAMINATION
With your agreement, a full medico-legal report will be compiled. If any injuries are identified, they will be documented with photographs. Blood, urine and DNA traces are taken for use in any subsequent legal proceedings.
IMMEDIATE CARE
The gynaecologist or emergency doctor will assess the physical and psychological risks to determine the need for urgent medical interventions, such as HIV infection prevention and emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy.
REFERRAL TO APPROPRIATE SUPPORT IF NECESSARY
For example, to prevent or treat psychological distress or long-term post-traumatic effects.
What happens next?
The doctors compile a medico-legal report detailing their findings and the care provided. The victim can request this report and use it if they wish to report the incident. Doctors do not give legal opinions. The decision to report an incident is a personal one
Photographs and samples are kept at the Centre universitaire romand de médecine légale (CURML)*.
Depending on their needs, the victim is directed to services that can provide support, particularly to a victim support consultation center (LAVI). LAVI centers offer free advice and assistance, such as psychological and legal support.
*For one year in the case of adults with the option to extend this period at the victim's request, and until the victim's 25th birthday in the case of minors.
FAQ
Do I need to worry about the cost of treatment?
Feeling of shame and fear of being judged?
Do I have to report the incident immediately?
What other organisations are available?
Looking for help in another canton?