Prague, Sept 15 (CTK) – One in ten Czech women has been raped in her life most often by a husband, partner or another family member, according to one of the most extensive surveys of this kind in the past years, the results of which were released in daily Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD) yesterday.
Two-thirds of the cases occur at home, shows the survey conducted by the Focus agency for the Persefona NGO, helping sexual violence victims, on over 2000 respondents.
“The opinion saying there is no rape in matrimony is wrong,” Persefona head Jitka Cechova told MfD.
Moreover, most rape victims do not report the crime to the police.
The survey shows that more than one-third or 39 percent of Czechs have ever faced sexual harassment and one in 11 (if men are also included) was raped, MfD says.
According to to the police statistics, 2,256 offences against morality, such as sexual pressure, sexual abuse, procurement and trafficking in people, including 598 cases of rape, were committed in the Czech Republic with a population of 10.5 million last year, MfD says.
While the crime against morality is on the rise, the number of reported rape cases has been dropping. However, they are just the tip of the iceberg.
Experts point out that the data from the police statistics do not mean that the situation has improved. The reality is much worse as women report rape only in 5-8 percent of cases, MfD says, referring tot he survey.
It shows that women aged between 18 and 25 are the most threatened by sexual violence.
“Unfortunately, it has been proved that the closer relation between the victim and the rape perpetrator is, the less probable it is that the victim will report the delicts. Women most often fear they will lose their partner or, on the contrary, they are afraid of him. Others feel ashamed and scared that people would condemn them,” sexologist Petr Weiss said.
Besides, sexual and domestic violence go often hand in hand, MfD says, referring to the NGOs helping domestic violence victims.
According to the survey, one in nine Czechs is a sexual violence perpetrator if verbal aggression is also included.
Along with aid to the victims of sexual violence, Persefona provides therapeutic support and consultancy for people who cannot control their own aggression in relationship, MfD says.
In the first half of this year alone, 33 people, mostly men, sought this service, Cechova told MfD.
