For the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women and the tenth anniversary of the project, the qualified psychologist hosted a publicity campaign on Thursday to make the general public and potential victims more aware of the scheme. Representatives from the city, the victim support organisation Weißer Ring and from the Institute for Forensic Medicine also attended. Mensching and her colleague Elke Doberentz from the Institute for Forensic Medicine developed questionnaires and standardised documents that will now be used as a template for the rolling out of the Bonn scheme throughout the state.

A typical case is perhaps as follows: “Imagine a woman comes into the clinic with a female friend and says she has been raped,” says Mensching. “The perpetrator is someone the victim works with and she is afraid this will bring problems. She therefore cannot bring herself to immediately file a complaint. Without anonymity it would not be possible to secure evidence.”

And this is where the Bonn scheme comes in: using a work kit provided by the police as well as questionnaires and standardised documents, doctors are able, as well as treating the victims, to also secure evidence. Those who go to the police are not treated anonymously. “Sex offences are crimes and we must pursue them,” explains Simon Rott from the Bonn police who praised the project.

Irmgard Küsters, from victim support at Bonn police headquarters adds, “As a policewoman I know through contact with support organisations such as the Weißer Ring that many sexual crimes are often not reported for various reasons. By taking evidence anonymously, it can be retained for use in court if a complaint is later filed within a period of up to ten years.”

Thanks to the pioneering work of the Bonn psychologist, by the middle of next year a system for the anonymous collection of evidence after a sexual attack should allow all those affected in North Rhine Westphalia to get help and support quickly.

Original text: Leif Kubik. Translated by Kate Carey.