English Mental health and gender-based violence English version | Page 158

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• Psychosocial assistants or health care workers are not competent to record reports of abuse for the purpose of judicial processes or other investigations , nor is it appropriate for them to receive such reports .
• If a woman decides to report abuses against her , medical and psychological records may be made available as corroborating evidence , if the woman concerned wishes .
• Helpers and health care staff may inform officials who are investigating allegations of abuse on what terms relevant medical and forensic evidence will be made available to them .
• A woman who wishes to report her abuse should be made aware of the legal requirements associated with reporting abuses and laying legal charges .
• Psychosocial and health care workers should respect guidelines on documenting torture and ill-treatment .
PART III : THEORY
Under both approaches , professionals who provide psychosocial and health care to survivors should clearly separate their work from the work of reporting abuses and gathering evidence for prosecution or investigations . Health care work and legal and human rights work belong in separate domains .
In this spirit , a care provider should not be involved in initiatives to report or lay charges , nor should she encourage survivors to report their abuse . She may provide information about the options a survivor has , and where she can go to explore them . Under existing guidelines , health care professionals who document torture are not necessarily the persons who provide immediate care and support to survivors ; they are required to act ethically , of course , but their objective is to document rather than care . Professionals in different fields should work in a complementary and coordinated manner , but respect their separate functions .
For the care provider
When issues of reporting or denouncing violations arise , a helper should :
• Know what is required and where reports of abuse can be registered .
• Seek out this information if it is not already available .
• Make the woman aware of the legal and other requirements associated with reporting .
• Abstain from any form of reporting in her capacity as a health or psychosocial helper .
• Provide documentation on a complainant ’ s health situation to officials responsible for the case , if requested , after obtaining the complainant ’ s permission .
• Provide any information that is requested in a strictly objective manner .
• Brief a woman who wishes to complain , so that she can make a responsible judgement . Where relevant , make sure that she also understands the risks she may face ( that the police may conduct themselves unprofessionally or be offensive , that judicial officials may be bribed , that the media may misrepresent her , that she may be threatened or intimidated by associates of those who attacked her , etc .).
• Inform the woman that she will speak to officials , in whom she should be able to confide , but underline that officials are not in the position of a helper .
• Assist or help a survivor to report her abuse , but do so only when she asks specifically .
• Take cognisance of the fact that a survivor who complains will find the experience highly stressful , and may be unable to manage the stress or answer questions .
• Provide a woman who wishes to complain with information , where possible , about the meaning and purpose and effect of reporting .