New centers sexual crimes

After Utrecht, Nijmegen, and Maastricht, now Centers for Sexual Crimes will also open in Leiden and Leeuwarden. The opening is scheduled in May. Victims of sexual crimes can file police reports, receive psychological help and undergo a medical exam. Physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and police combine forces in these Centers to help sexual crime victims.

The Centers also have the ability to do forensic investigations to gather evidence for the possible prosecution of the suspect. The Victim Support Netherlands Foundation hopes to see five more Centers opened by next year. The Centers are not subsidized by the government and are dependent on donations, according to the foundation, who mediates in the financing for the Centers for Sexual Crimes. The Centers are intended for people who have recently fallen victim to a sexual crime, so they only have to tell their story once, according to a spokesperson for the Utrecht Center.