The topic of sexual violence, including sexual harassment and sex crime, has been recently heavily discussed. The #MeToo movement has brought to light cases of violence and harassment and has given the courage to many victims to report and accuse. However, a culture of doubt persists and many trials take place in the media rather than in the court. It often happens that those who report, often women, are not always believed or are even blamed for what they have suffered, thus undergoing insinuations that it was their behaviour assumed that aroused acts of harassment or violence in the perpetrator.
These cases reveal that victims of sexual violence are generally in a very difficult position, even in this modern time, and show how specific, stressful and difficult is the position of the victims of sexual violence. They definitely need high level of protection – legal, social and psychological. The Victims’ Rights Platform could be one of the important ways to help the victims of sexual violence.
Benefits of The Victims’ Rights Platform for the victims of sexual violence
The Victims’ Rights Platform ensures a horizontal approach to victims’ rights. It was inaugurated on 22 September 2020, at a High-level conference on victims’ rights co-organised by the European Commission and the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Currently, the Victims’ Rights Platform is composed of 34 members that include representatives of EU level networks, agencies, bodies and civil society organisations relevant for the implementation of the EU Strategy on victims’ rights.
The EU Victims’ Rights Platform could focus on sharing experience of both sides – the victims and the institutions (police, courts and other organizations). The specific position of the victims needs special procedures and specific approaches and The Victims’ Rights Platform could find effective instruments to help the victims. International and interdisciplinary cooperation is absolutely essential in this area. Evaluation of the results will form new strategies and new directions. Just the existence of the platform is a good news for all the victims. European policy shows clearly, that they know this problem, they know it is complex and complicated and that it must be solved. All the subjects will cooperate and this support should be important for all the victims of sexual violence and could help to affect their status.
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