Cypriot officers being trained on how to handle rape and sexual assault cases

Cypriot officials are visiting Glasgow this week to undertake training on the best methods to handle rape and serious sexual assault cases.

A press release issued by the British High Commission in Nicosia said that this week, coinciding with International Women’s Day on 8th March, the UK Government is supporting the visit of Cypriot authorities to Glasgow to undertake training on best-practice in the handling of rape and serious sexual assault cases. The visiting Cypriot officials are currently conducting a feasibility study for the creation of a Sexual Assault Referral Center in Cyprus.

Officials from the Cypriot Police, Law Office, Ministry of Health, Social Welfare Services and the State Healthcare Services Organisation will visit the Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis Center (GCRCC) to tour their facilities and to discuss with the Center’s experts on their development of survivor-centered emotional and therapeutic support for victims of rape and serious sexual assault.

According to the press release, the delegation will also meet with Scotland Police, the Crown Office and the Procurator Fiscal Service (the Scottish prosecution service) and visit the Glasgow High Court to see their remote-evidence facility for witnesses who do not wish to testify in person.

The visit to Scotland is part of a partnership program between the UK and Cyprus on victim handling and support. In October last year, experts from the GCRCC delivered a training workshop in Nicosia for local authorities which focused on communication skills needed in dealing with victims and survivors of rape and sexual assault.

Established in 1976, the GCRC was the first Rape Crisis Center in Scotland and remains the longest-running operational Rape Crisis Center in the UK supporting 1,700 women and girls annually. The GCRCC, through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, also works with UK nationals who experience rape abroad, as well as training UK consular staff in supporting victims and their families.

British High Commissioner, Stephen Lillie, said that “this is a really important collaboration between the UK and Cyprus in an area of vital importance to the people in both countries. The UK has been a pioneer in developing sexual assault referral centers as part of our efforts to support victims more effectively. The Glasgow center is recognized as a model of international best practice. I am sure that this visit will be of great value as Cyprus works to develop its own support for victims of rape and sexual assault”.

Dr. Olga Kalakouta, Chief Health Officer at the Ministry of Health of Cyprus, noted that “cases of rape and sexual assault require sensitive handling and we are in the process of developing victim-centered approaches with valuable help from our friends in the UK. We look forward to exchanging knowledge and experiences with our British colleagues to improve the treatment of survivors of such hideous crimes and to ensure that they are treated fairly and empathetically within the Cypriot system.”

Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis Director, Claudia Macdonald, said that “sharing information and experience is important in developing approaches that put survivors at the heart of services, especially those as complex as the criminal justice system. More important though is the culture in which these services are delivered within."

"That’s where people’s understanding of trauma and its impact on survivors must be as advanced and as empathetic as possible to truly put survivor's needs first in any service, at home and internationally. Therefore, we continue to share our learning and experience with international colleagues and welcome discussions like we are having this week,” she added.