National Guidelines on Management of Sexual Violence in Kenya

Minimal services needed
• Survivors/victims of sexual violence need assistance to cope with the
harmful consequences of this nature of violence;
• They need health care, psychological and social support, security, and
legal redress;
• Prevention activities must be put in place to address causes and
contributing factors to sexual violence in the setting;
• Providers of all these services must be knowledgeable, skilled, and
compassionate in order to help the survivor/victim, and to establish
effective preventive measures;
• Prevention and response to SV requires coordinated action from actors
from many sectors.
5. Specific Responsibilities for the Health Sector
The health care provider’s responsibility is to provide appropriate care to survivors of
sexual violence as documented in these guidelines. This includes collection of any
forensic evidence that might be needed in a subsequent investigation either during or
post crisis period. It is not the responsibility of the health care provider to determine
whether a person has been sexually violated. That is a legal determination. However,
all health care providers must be aware of relevant laws and policies governing health
care provision in cases of sexual violence.
The health care provider’s responsibility
• To provide appropriate care to survivors of sexual violence as is
documented in these guidelines;
• To collect forensic evidence that might be needed in a subsequent
investigation either during or post crisis period.
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