The path to recovery
About a year and a half ago, Rosa (a pseudonym to protect the patient's anonymity) was sexually assaulted. A foreigner with no close family network, she found herself helpless and unsure of what steps to take: “I was in panic mode, confused, and insecure.”
She called her sister, who lives outside of Spain. Her sister searched online and recommended she call 061. “I said one sentence and that was enough. The person who answered asked if I needed an ambulance and told me what to do. I felt very respected,” explains Rosa. After going to the nearest emergency centre, she was immediately referred to Hospital Clínic Barcelona, the referral centre in Barcelona for the comprehensive care of sexual assault victims.
“When I arrived at the Clínic, I was seen immediately. I felt very supported; they helped me calm down and make sense of what had happened to me. It was exactly what I needed at that moment,” she recalls.
A comprehensive and coordinated care model from the very outset
From the moment a person arrives at the A&E Department and a situation of sexual violence is detected, a specific protocol is activated at the Clínic. This is how Ester Valls Puente, president of the centre's Committee on Gender-based Violence and Health, explains it: "It is a comprehensive and emergent model. When we know there has been a sexual assault, a code is activated and the person is taken to a specific cubicle and seen by an interdisciplinary team: social work, nursing, psychology, gynaecology, infectious diseases, and any other specialists required."
Coordination with the Justice System and Forensic Medicine
One of the key elements of this system is the agreement with the judicial authorities: “Working together prevents re-victimization. The person doesn't have to go to the courthouse to testify or be examined again. The forensic medical examiner comes to the hospital, and a single examination is conducted.”
This comprehensive model guarantees not only urgent care—STI prophylaxis, emergency contraception, wound care, and immediate emotional support—but also long-term continuity of care. Furthermore, it allows the patient to decide whether or not to initiate the judicial process, offering the necessary time to make this decision.
The Value of Psychological Support
Rosa explains that, after the first few hours, another process began: the emotional recovery. She admits that, at first, she didn't think therapy could help her: “I thought I had to help myself, that I had to recover on my own. But. after the first session, I saw that I needed it.”
One of the questions she remembers most is the one the psychologist asked her during the first visit: “Do you think you'll be able to be okay in the future?” She adds, “I couldn't see it then, but now I'm in that future and I'm okay thanks to all the work we've done.”
Specialized support: The PTSD-AGRESx Programme
Rosa was treated by the Clínic's Programme for the Prevention and Treatment of Psychological Sequelae in Sexually Assaulted Women, which specializes in the psychological consequences of sexual violence. Laura Blanco, a clinical psychologist with the programme, describes it this way: "The programme is multidisciplinary – it involves psychologists, a psychiatrist, a mental health nurse specialist, and a social worker. Our goal is for the person to engage as soon as possible after going through the A&E Department, and to offer them treatment based on scientific evidence."
However, it should be noted that therapy can be a long and emotionally demanding process: "Many people have difficulty coming to appointments, because just coming brings the trauma back. We take avoidance, a key symptom of post-traumatic stress, very seriously, and we adapt the pace of the treatment to each patient."
For Rosa, this support has been crucial: “If it weren't for the sessions, the journey would have been much longer.”
“If we don't talk about it, this will keep happening to us.”
Rosa explains that sharing her experience is also a way to help other victims: “When this happens to you, you feel guilty, insecure, lost. But talking about it is important, even if it’s the last thing you feel like doing. Hearing other women talk about their experiences made me think: I'm not alone. And I want to do the same to help other women and also men.”
Finally, she sends a message to anyone who is going through a similar situation: “Don't be afraid. Get help. It's a very special kind of help. I thought it wouldn't work for me, but I was wrong. It helped me a lot.”
Over 30 years of addressing sexual violence
The Hospital Clínic Barcelona is a leading centre for addressing sexual violence for those aged 16 and older. With more than three decades of experience, it has established a comprehensive model based on an accessible response, coordination and specialization, and a deep respect for the needs of each individual.
As Ester Valls summarizes: “Our priority is for the person to get their life back. We adapt to what they need, to their pace, and to their wishes. At the centre of it all is their health and well-being.”
On 25 November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Rosa's brave voice and the work of all the Clínic teams are a reminder that sexual assaults pose health risks, causing new illnesses and mental health problems in the short and long term; to confront this reality, comprehensive care models and psychological and social support from the very beginning are essential.
