Number of visits to Seri Support Center likely to increase as reformed sexual offence legislation enters into force

The reform of sexual offence legislation in Finland will enter into force at the turn of the year. The reformed act aims to reinforce the protection of sexual autonomy and personal integrity. An essential change in the legislation is that any non-consensual sex act will be considered a rape. This change means that more acts will be covered by criminal law. The reform will also affect the Seri Support Center for Victims of Sexual Assault at HUS.

“The legislation reform is excellent, but we are worried about the increasing number of visits to Seri Support Center and how we will be able to manage them”, says Riina Korjamo, the physician in charge of HUS Seri Support Center.

The legislation reform will increase the number of preliminary investigations, considerations of charges, summonses to district courts, as well as hearings in courts of appeal.

“It will also extend processing times if the resources needed in the processes are insufficient. This means that the victims will need support for a longer period of time, and their recovery may slow down.”

Legislation reform utilized a survey by Seri Support Center

According to a survey conducted by HUS Seri Support Center, 86% of its clients feel that the center provides them with the services and support they need. The respondents find that psychological services and legal advice are the most important services at the initial stage. Many would have appreciated peer support. The clients also wished for better access to further care, longer duration of the support, and services closer to their home. The most common reason for not using the available services is the desire to forget about the incident.

The results are available in an intermediate report with an abstract in English. The survey was open from June 1, 2017 to February 29, 2020, and 235 Seri Support Center clients took the survey. Korjamo explains how the results of the survey are extensively utilized at the Seri Support Center:

“We actively carry out research that has direct impact on treatment practices locally and nationwide. Based on the results, we will offer more appointments with a psychologist next year, and we have launched peer support groups, for example.”

The results of the survey have been utilized in the development of services provided by the Seri Support Center network, as well as the sexual offence legislation reform.

Live from HUS on December 2, 2022: Treating a victim of sexual assault at Seri Support Center
See the recording on YouTube via this link. (in Finnish)