AUTHORITIES from Cyprus are to receive training in Glasgow on how to handle rape and sexual assault cases.
The government-funded approach to improve the way such cases are dealt with in Cyprus comes after the controversial treatment of a British girl who was allegedly gang-raped.
The 19-year-old was accused of lying about being raped by up to 12 Israeli youths in a hotel in Ayia Napa, and her conviction for this was overturned at the Cyprus Supreme Court earlier this year.
Now Cypriots are determined to improve their response to such cases, and were welcomed by experts from the Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis Centre (GCRC) today.
British High Commissioner Stephen Lillie said: “I am extremely proud of the collaboration between the UK Government and Cyprus authorities in this important area.
“We welcome the open approach of our Cypriot partners in sharing experiences around the handling of survivors of rape and sexual assault.
“The GCRC has a wealth of practical experience and has pioneered new tools in the development of victim-centred approaches that help survivors gain easier access to justice.”
Officials from the Cypriot Police, Law Office, Ministry of Health, Social Welfare Services and the State Healthcare Services Organisation arrived in Glasgow, and the delegation from Cyprus is looking into opening the island’s first Sexual Assault Referral Centre.
The Cypriot delegation will meet with Police Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) to oversee remote facilities for witnesses who do not wish to testify in person.
Dr Olga Kalakouta, Chief Health Officer at the Ministry of Health of Cyprus, added: “Cases of rape and sexual assault require sensitive handling and we are in the process of developing victim-centred approaches, with valuable help from our friends in the UK.
“We are looking forward to exchanging knowledge and experiences with our British colleagues to improve how survivors of such hideous crimes are treated fairly and empathetically within the Cypriot system.”
GCRC offered training in October 2021 to officers from various Cypriot authorities, the British Bases and the British High Commission, which focussed on developing skills and engagement in relation to cases of rape and sexual assault.
Established in 1976, GCRC was the first Rape Crisis Centre in Scotland and remains the longest operational Rape Crisis Centre in the UK.
They support 1700 women and girls every year and receive £15,000-a-year funding from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to provide its specialist help to British nationals who report cases of sexual violence.
GCRC Director Claudia Macdonald said: “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 survivors' 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 today’’.
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