Guidance

Information for Survivors of Rape and Sexual Assault in Angola

Published 13 February 2023

1. 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 national emergency number in Angola dialling 111
• contact your tour operator if you are travelling with one; they should be able to support you
• contact the British Embassy Luanda on +244 222 334 583 - available 24/7 - you will speak to trained consular staff from the FCDO network; they will try to send a consular officer to support you, where timing and location allow.

Consular staff are trained to be empathetic, 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.

2. If you want to report the incident to the police in Angola

You can approach the police directly, either by the emergency helpline number 111, or in person at the nearest police station.

At the police station you can also ask them to inform the British Embassy Luanda on +244 222 334 583 and we can offer you consular support. If you choose to report the crime, try to do so as soon as possible, so 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 before to the police; place them in a paper or fabric bag – do not use a plastic bag as evidence may be lost. 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.

In Angola, when reporting a sexual crime to local police, you should not expect to be seen by an English speaker official, nor have an interpreter, unless you take one with you. You should try to take Portuguese speaker with you to help with unofficial translation. This could be a friend, tour operator or consular officer.

Most police officers in Angola are men, and there are no special provisions to allow victims of rape to speak with a person of a different gender. This means that a male police officer will most likely attend you, regardless of your preference.

Whilst you are at the police station, the officers on duty will gather information from you, usually in a private room. If the offense has just been committed, then the police may go to the place where it happened immediately, depending on circumstances and availability. They will also invite you to go to the Laboratory Central of Criminalistics to try to collect forensic evidence.

The local police will open a case and give you a provisional registration number upon your statement.

3. Reporting the crime in Angola - what happens next?

After getting your statement and, possibly going to the place of the crime, the police will send information about the case to the Angolan Public Ministry to be registered as a criminal investigation. It will later be handed over to the Crime Investigation Service (Serviço de Investigação Criminal – SIC), which will lead the investigation under the supervision of a Public Attorney.

After one week, you can return to the police station to get the process (case) number. You will need this to request future updates. We have been told that it should normally take one week for the case number to be assigned, but please note that it may take more time depending on the individual police station.

A full investigation can take time and they will not give you a report straight away. The police will lead the investigations and you will need to follow up for any updates, but it can take months to progress. You will need to instruct a lawyer to represent you if you wish, because anyone will be assigned otherwise.

You should insist to get a police report at the end of the investigation. Depending on the circumstances, it can take many months to be produced. The police report will be written in Portuguese and consular staff can informally translate if for you. If you need a formal translation, you can consult our list of translators.

4. The medical examination – what to expect

Most medical staff in Angola only speak Portuguese - English speakers are few; if you don’t speak Portuguese, you should try to take someone with you to provide informal translation.

Public hospitals in Angola are supposed to offer free examination and treatment for sexual violence survivors, no matter what their nationality is, but their standards of hygiene and care may not be the same as you would expect in the UK. The procedures at public facilities are not often explained or discussed with patients; medical technology and infrastructure available are often basic.

There are some competent private clinics in Angola, but fees are high and are charged in advance; you should check if your travel insurance will cover this.

The purpose of the first examination is both to check your health and to collect evidence that may be used during a criminal investigation. If you opt for a private medical facility, you should check if the medical practitioner is willing to talk to the police and testify in court, if requested. The examination may involve a pelvic exam, vaginal/ penile/ anal swabs, head/ pubic hair samples and fingernail scrapings. DNA, blood and other body fluid samples may be taken. Body photographs may also be taken if you request, to act as evidence of injuries such as cuts or bruises.

Police will not receive reports or examinations results automatically, either from public or private hospitals. You will need to ask for all the reports and test results to help with the police investigation.

5. Treatment

Most private hospitals offer advice and medication to the HIV Post-exposure prophylaxis, HIV PEP, a treatment that can prevent HIV infection.

HIV PEP treatment 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.

Emergency contraception medication, also called the morning after pill (MAP), needs to be taken within 72 hours of the incident for it to be effective. They are not usually available over the counter in Angola, but private hospitals usually can offer customers emergency contraception for a fee.

If you have had medication administered overseas, you should keep the label or make a note of the name of the medication, so that you let your local health provider know when you return home.

6. Police investigations in Angola – what to expect

The National Police, controlled by the Ministry of Interior, are responsible for internal security and law enforcement in Angola. The Criminal Investigation Services, also under the Ministry of Interior, are responsible for preventing and investigating local crimes.

7. Court procedures – what to expect

Rape and sexual assault, including spousal or partner rape is illegal in Angola and punishable by up to 12 years’ imprisonment.

Sexual harassment is not illegal; it may be prosecuted, however, under assault, battery and defamation statutes. Limited investigative resources, forensic capabilities and overstretch in the judicial system prevent prosecution of many cases.

8. Trial procedures

By law, trials are usually public, although each court has the right to close proceedings. Defendants have the right to be present at the trial, but do not have the right to confront their accusers. They may question witnesses against them and present witnesses and evidence on their own behalf.

The trial will be conducted in Portuguese.

9. If you do not want to report the incident to the police in Angola

It is your choice on whether to report the crime; if you do not report it, your case will not be investigated in Angola. Even if you do not report the crime, you will still be able to get medical attention, although very basic treatment is available at the public hospitals. Please consider going to a private clinic if it is possible.

The British Embassy will be able to help you to contact your insurance company, your family, help you to make arrangements to travel back to the UK and/ or provide you with information on local support in the UK and lists of English-speaking medical facilities, lawyers and translators.

You can also report the incident to your tour operator, if you are travelling with one, and ask them for assistance. The tour operator may accompany you to the local hospital. If you wish, and depending on location and timing, a member of consular staff may be able to accompany you.

10. 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; please check with the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate.

In Angola 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 do not report the crime in the country where the crime happened and you return to the UK, you can still report the matter to your local UK police. 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. However, it is for foreign police forces to decide whether to investigate a crime in their jurisdiction and they may not take action.

11. When you return home to the UK

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

England	NHS Choices, or search the internet for ‘NHS SARC’
Scotland	Archway SARC: phone 0141 211 8175
Wales	New Pathways SARC: phone 01685 379 310 Ynys Saff Sexual Assault Referral Centre - Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Northern Ireland	Rowan SARC Northern Ireland: phone 0800 389 4424

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. You should do this even if you have been tested in the country that the assault took place in.

12. 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).