Flavia Zimmermann
Speeches:
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Current medical and multi-sectoral challenges in sexual assault responses in Malta
Flavia Zimmermann Three Cities Foundation, Vittoriosa, Malta - chairwoman@threecities.org
The current legal and social framework in Malta poses a set of specific and compelling challenges for evidence-based medicine and service provision in the context of sexual violence and contraceptive care. This presentation aims to give an objective overview of facilities available to female victims of sexual violence in Malta. It will review services and interventions for underage and adult survivors of sexual assault, the circumstances (including withholding of emergency contraception) which affect standards of Care-and-Evidence in the medical, forensic and psycho-social sectors - along with the range of consequences on patients' health. A summary of critical or urgent issues to redress the effects of this significant public health crisis will be presented. It will also include victimology approaches for survivors' recovery. The main objective of this presentation is to initiate an ongoing discussion about viable reforms to develop an ethical, humane and effective multi-sectoral service. The evidence to be presented has been gathered and updated since 2010, as part of a previous Daphne-Cosai III-funded international project to assess and improve sexual assault services in Europe.