Guidance

Armenia: information for victims of rape and sexual assault

Updated 21 November 2023

If you’ve been sexually assaulted it’s important to remember that it was not your fault. Rape and sexual assault is always wrong – no matter who commits it or where it happens. It is traumatic and it can affect you both physically and emotionally. Do not be afraid to get help.

This information is provided to help British nationals overseas make informed decisions about whether and how to:

• seek medical advice and attention
• report to local police
• engage with foreign legal authorities following a rape or other form of sexual assault overseas

For information on support available in the UK, see Rape and Sexual Assault: Returning to the UK.

First steps

It is your choice about what you do next, but this information may help you in coming to a decision. The most important thing is to make sure that you are as safe as you can be. You can:

• contact the international emergency number on 103 for ambulance and 102 for local police
• contact your tour operator if you are travelling with one
• contact the British Embassy Yerevan. Our telephone number is +374(0) 10 264301. Embassy staff will be empathetic and non-judgmental, and can provide information on local police and medical procedures. Anything you tell them will be treated in the strictest confidence. They can contact your family or friends for you if you wish

If you want to report the incident to the police in Armenia

You must report the crime in Armenia before returning to the UK if you want it to be investigated. The crime must be reported at the nearest police station in Armenia.

Reporting crimes to the police in Armenia can be a complex and time consuming process. Local officers may not have specific training in supporting victims of sexual assault. You may find the process of reporting the assault at times difficult, and quite different from what you would expect of UK police proceedings.

Rape and sexual assault are both criminal offences in Armenia, but conviction rates remain low, and judicial proceedings are likely to take a long time. It is very likely that victims will be asked to testify in front of third parties, and there is no legislation to punish those violating the confidentiality of a victim.

If you choose to report the crime:

• try to do so as soon as possible, so forensic evidence can be retained
• washing yourself or your clothes may make it difficult for the police to obtain forensic evidence
• if you change your clothes, think about taking those you were wearing to the police
• you may wish to preserve evidence by retaining items such as condoms, toothbrushes, or texts
• tell the police if you think you have been drugged

If you approach the police directly, you can also ask them to inform the British Embassy or you can contact the embassy yourself

If you have a tour operator, they should be able to arrange for someone to support you. If you do not have a tour operator and you are in an area reachable by the British embassy they will try to send a consular officer to support you. Consular staff can accompany you to the police station should you so wish and where possible. However, we cannot provide interpretation and might not be allowed to stay with you while you make the police report.

You can request an officer of a particular gender although there is no guarantee one will be available. There is very limited number of English-speaking police officers. An interpreter might be provided by the local police but this is not guaranteed and there is no guarantee of quality either. In order to save time, you might consider having your own interpreter with you when you visit the police station.

Find a local interpreter

When you report the incident to the police, they will record a written report describing the incident. Get a copy of this report and make sure it is signed by the police officer. The signed copy will act as proof that the incident has been reported to the police.

Once an initial verbal report is made to the police and they have forwarded it to the Investigative Committee, you will be required to give a full statement to an officer of the Investigative Committee. Not all investigative officers will have private rooms for taking a statement. Generally, interviews will take place in the office of duty investigators and there are likely to be several people working in one office.

Request a copy of the written statement in both languages when you have finished the interview with the Investigative Committee, although the English version might not be readily available. If it is available, it may take some days to be prepared. The investigative officer may request you return for another interview, if neccessary. You may also be asked to visit the incident site with the investigative officer.

The clothes you wore at the time of attack will be kept by the police as evidence and will be sent for forensic examination. You will be sent to the local hospital or the forensic examination suite if you haven’t sought medical assistance in the first instance. The results of the examination will be reflected in a separate protocol and photographic evidence of face and body injuries will be taken.

If you do not want to report the incident to the police in Armenia

The British embassy or consulate will be able to help you. This includes:

• helping you make arrangements to contact your insurance company, your family, travel back to the UK
• providing you with information on local support in the UK

They can provide you with the lists of:

• English-speaking lawyers and translators

• medical practitioners

If you are travelling with a tour operator, you can report the incident to them and ask them for assistance. Where possible and if you wish, the tour operator may accompany you to the local hospital.

Consular staff can accompany you to the hospital should you so wish and where possible. In the interests of patient confidentiality, we will wait in reception during your medical examination.

It is your choice on whether to report the crime, but if you don’t report it your case may not be investigated if there is a lack of forensic evidence.

If you do not report the crime, you will still be able to get medical attention and you should go to the nearest hospital or a local doctor, but you will not be entitled to a forensic examination.

If you want to report the incident to the police in the UK

The support available to you, and your access to justice may vary according to where you report the crime. In many countries, you need to report the crime before you leave the country, if you want it to be investigated and police to obtain important evidence.

If you are staying in the country where the crime took place, you should report the crime in that country. If you are a British national and you need help to report the crime, you can contact the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate, or the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London.

If you do not report the crime in the country where it happened and you return to the UK, you can still report the matter to your local UK police.

The UK police should send the information you provide to the country where the crime happened. However, it is for foreign police forces to decide whether to investigate a crime in their jurisdiction and they may not take action.

You can report the crime to the UK police even if you are not seeking an investigation abroad. The UK police can offer you access to victim support in the UK. They may still send some details of the crime to police in the country where it happened. This might be necessary in order to protect vulnerable people, or to stop more crimes being committed.

The medical examination

Forensic examinations are performed in Armenia by a forensic examiner - a doctor - at the request of the Armenian Investigative Committee. Samples or swabs will be taken from clothes, the mouth, hair and there will be a full medical examination. This is undertaken by specially-trained medical staff. Photographs of severe external injuries will be taken for investigative purposes.

Treatment

There are certain medical clinics most commonly used by foreigners in Yerevan that are able to offer medical support to victims of rape and sexual assault.

They can offer medical support including external injuries examination, examination with swabs and for STDs. Some medical practices will automatically pass details of people they believe to be victims of rape or sexual assault to the police. The British Embassy Yerevan can talk to local healthcare providers on your behalf to check a clinic’s policy in this matter.

• hospital medical staff can give you advice on HIV PEP medication (‘Post-exposure prophylaxis’, a treatment that can prevent HIV infection) should you or they feel it is necessary. This can be prescribed at the hospital. PEP is available in country and can be done at National Centre for Aids Prevention CJSC. More information on risks is available on the NHS website

HIV PEP medication needs to be taken within 72 hours of the incident for it to be effective. The NHS may be able to commence or continue the 28 day treatment on return to the UK

• where appropriate, emergency contraception can be obtained from a pharmacy, though you will require a doctor’s prescription and it is not free

emergency contraception needs to be taken within 72 hours of the incident for it to be effective

• abortion is available in Armenia for a gestational period up to 12 weeks. You will need to see a doctor to request this.

• hospital treatments and tests can be paid by bank card, though some local clinics may only accept cash payments.

• hospital treatments and tests can be paid by card, though some local clinics may accept cash payments

• if you have had medication administered whilst overseas keep the label or make a note of the name of the medication and let your local health provider know

Criminal investigations in Armenia

After the crime is reported to the police, they submit the report to the Investigative Committee. The Committee opens a file on the case and will call you for an initial interview.

The investigative officer may take you to the scene of the crime to get more details on the incident; however, they will not take you to a location where you think the attacker may be located to try and identify the person. You may be interviewed simultaneously with the suspect at the Investigative Committee, so there is a risk of seeing the suspect in corridors or waiting areas of the building.

In Armenia victims will be asked to identify a suspect at the police station. Many police stations do not have two way mirrors installed so it is likely that victims will be asked to make an identification face to face. In accordance with the local legislation, the victim must attend, as part of the investigation process. Criminal investigations in Armenia tend to progress very slowly.

You will generally be expected to make statements in person, though having a lawyer present throughout the proceeding can be beneficial. The lawyer can speak to the investigative officer on your behalf based on the case notes and copies of protocols.

Once the initial investigation is completed, the Investigative Committee will decide on one of several options:

• send the file to the public prosecutor, who will review and, if the conclusion is approved, order a trial. They will do this if they have overwhelming evidence – for example, if the suspect has confessed
• they can file the case - this does not mean that they have decided that nothing happened, but that they do not have sufficient grounds or evidence to prosecute

The indictment completed by the Investigative Committee must be cleared the prosecutor. If the prosecutor does not agree to file the case and orders a trial, they may request further investigation. Alternatively they may close the case. If you leave the country, this would not result in your case being closed. Legislation includes the option of remote interviews.

Court procedures in Armenia

All rape and assault charges are regulated under Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia.

You are generally expected to testify in person, including in cases of rape and sexual assault. You may be asked to give graphic details about the attack, which you might find uncomfortable. The absence of consent is considered as rape, however in practice the absence of torn clothes, or physical injury may make it harder to provide evidence that there was no consent. Each case will be subject to investigation.

Testimony may be in front of the accused, unless the court has approved protective measures to hide the victim’s identity, in which case your face can be obscured during the trial by the use of a mask or by arranging interview by video link from an adjoining court room, with your face digitally obscured. However modulation of your voice is not normally possible. Due to particularities of the legislation it is not prohibited for a suspect’s family members to attend an open court hearing, although in many cases sexual abuse trials are held in closed hearings.

You are entitled to be aware of the case developments. However, having legal representation from the early stages of a case increases the likelihood that your rights will be respected during the initial police report and further investigation stages.

You will need to engage a lawyer at your own expense to represent you. The British Embassy can provide you the list of lawyers. A state-funded lawyer can be provided by the court but there is no guarantee of quality either. If you choose to request a lawyer from the court, you should inform them of this requirement in advance to allow them to make suitable arrangements.

It is possible to drop charges by providing a written statement to the investigators but you will need to be prepared to explain the reason for doing so. If you are suspected of giving false statements, you can face legal repercussions. The assailant may press counter charges against you claiming that you have made false accusations. The court will investigate these claims and decide on proceedings. Courts can order perpetrators to pay compensation to victims of rape and sexual violence including for moral damage.

If you do not speak Armenian, the court will provide a translator. You should inform them you need a translator in advance so they can arrange this. You can also have your own interpreter. The Embassy can provide a list of interpreters for you to choose one from. Consular staff will not normally be able to attend the trial with you. You may wish to be accompanied by a friend or member of your family for the court hearing.

When you return home to the UK

You may want to let your GP or a Sexual Assault Referral Centre know what has happened to you so that you can talk about the experience and seek further support and advice.

If you believe you may be at risk of having contracted a sexually-transmitted infection (STI), you should ask your local health provider to test you, even if you have been tested in the country that the assault took place in.

Armenian police will not inform the UK police of the crime, which has taken place in Armenia.

England

NHS Choices, or search the internet for ‘NHS SARC’

Scotland

Archway SARC +44 (0)141 211 8175

Wales

New Pathways SARC +44 (0)1685 379 310

Ynys Saff Sexual Assault Referral Centre - Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

Northern Ireland

Rowan SARC Northern Ireland

+44 0800 389 4424

Armenian police will not inform the UK police of the crime which has taken place in Armenia.

Support organisations in Armenia

It is your choice to let people know. If you are ready to talk about it the following organisations may be able to help you:

Ministry օf Labour and Social Issues օf the Republic օf Armenia

Hanrapetutyan Sq., Government House 3, Yerevan
Telephone number/hot line (Women’s Resource Centre): Yerevan +374(0) 10 542828, mobile: +374(0) 43 010292 (10:00-18:30)
Language of service - Armenian
Description of services offered - Physiological and legal support free of charge

Disclaimer

This information has been prepared by HMG officials who are not legally or medically trained. It should therefore never be used as a substitute for professional medical or legal advice. It is intended to help British nationals overseas make their own informed decisions. Neither HMG nor any official of the Consulate accept liability for any loss or damage which you might suffer as a result of relying on the information supplied.

Medical information has been provided by The Havens Sexual Assault Referral Centres of Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and was accurate at the time of production (02/02/2022).