Several cases of women who had been sexually traumatized on October 7 came to the attention of the health system, but the women did not want further contact or treatment. This is according to a reference sent by the Ministry of Health to the Chairman of the Knesset Health Committee, MK Yoni Mashriki, following the Committee's follow-up on the issue of the therapeutic response to victims of sexual violence on October <>.
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In addition, the Ministry of Health intends to release an advertising video with a well-known and influential figure who will explain the treatment options available to the victims. The video is intended for social media. At the same time, the Ministry is also working on an information campaign on the issue of treatment provided to victims in acute centers. It is assumed that the preferred way to make the information accessible is directly, and it will be published on their website.
"The Ministry of Health is in dialogue with the World Health Organization to learn from them about strategies that have been effective in publicizing services for victims of sexual trauma, especially in Ukraine," said Miri Cohen, director of government relations and national programs, in a letter to the Knesset Health Committee. The health system aspires to establish a dedicated day care service for victims of sexual trauma. In addition, in the psychiatric ward at Sheba and Ichilov hospitals, designated clinics were opened for the treatment of war victims, and two new centers were established at Lev Hasharon Hospital and Geha Hospital.
Demonstration organized by the Association of Crisis Centers for Victims of Sexual Assault and the Women's Lobby in Israel (Archive), photo: Oren Ben Hakon
The Ministry of Health's response also indicates that all employees of the 14 resilience centers are trained in dealing with complex trauma, including sexual trauma. The Ministries of Health, Social Affairs and National Insurance conduct courses and training for therapists, including specialized training for the treatment of sexual trauma. "As part of our familiarity with the characteristics of sexual abuse in general – we are aware of the fact that it is accompanied by feelings of shame, guilt, fear of hurting the environment and more. It is always difficult to expose this difficult issue, and even more so in these difficult circumstances," the Health Ministry said.
Family members of the abductees at a Knesset Health Committee hearing, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
"The clinical experience surrounding the treatment of prisoners of war has shown that in many cases the reference to the fact that there was sexual abuse came at very late stages of treatment, and even many years after returning from captivity. Clinical and research experience shows that knowledge and training in sensitive trauma treatment is critical for health teams in order to provide tailored responses to victims."
A demonstration in front of UN Women's offices in New York against its silence on sexual assaults of women on October 7, photo: AFP.
They added: "The feelings of shame, guilt, fear of hurting the environment and concealment, which accompany trauma victims in general, and sexual trauma in particular, deepen the complexity that caregivers in the health system face."
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