There are seven such acute rooms around Israel, but none so far have been made accessible to the Arab sector.
The first acute room dedicated to victims of sexual violence in the Arab sector was opened on Monday in Nazareth’s British Hospital.
The acute room has all the emergency services required for victims of sexual violence such as initial psychological care, medical care, medication to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases and rape kits to gather forensic evidence.
The services provided in the acute room are aimed at helping the victims deal with their trauma and pursue it legally if they wish.
Acute rooms in Israel
Currently, there are seven other such rooms in Israeli cities: Tiberias, Haifa, Jerusalem, Hadera, Holon, Beersheba and Eilat. None of them are specialized for the Arab sector, making the new acute room in Nazareth the first of its kind.
“Sexual violence harms us all: women, men, girls and boys, in the center and the periphery, no matter the religion, race, language or anything else,” Lobby for the Fight Against Sexual Violence leader Yael Sherar said.
“Everyone in Israel has the right to receive personalized emergency care.”
Yael Sherar
“The care for sexual violence needs to reflect that,” she said. “Everyone in Israel has the right to receive personalized emergency care. We thank everyone who worked on this and especially congratulate Nazareth Hospital for the privilege of giving such critical assistance and saving lives.”