Information for survivors of rape and sexual assault in Guinea-Bissau
Published 22 March 2023
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guinea-bissau-information-for-survivors-of-rape-and-sexual-assault/information-for-survivors-of-rape-and-sexual-assault-in-guinea-bissau
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 emergency police number in Guinea-Bissau on 117
- contact your tour operator if you are travelling with one
- contact your nearest British embassy in Senegal who will be able to provide you with remote consular support, as there is no British embassy in Guinea-Bissau. Embassy staff will be polite, patient, empathetic, and non-judgmental. They 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 Guinea-Bissau
If you have a tour operator, they should be able to arrange for someone to support you. Although there is no British embassy or consulate in Guinea-Bissau, you will always be able to speak to trained consular staff on the telephone 24/7.
If you approach the police directly, you can also ask them to inform the British embassy in Senegal on +221 33 868 60 31 and they can offer you consular support.
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.
Try to get a police report and request a translation in English if applicable.
If you do not want to report the incident to the police in Guinea-Bissau
The British embassy in Senegal will be able to help you. This includes helping you to contact your insurance company, your family, making arrangements to travel back to the UK and/or provide you with information on local support in the UK.
They can provide you with lists of English-speaking medical facilities, lawyers and translators.
If you are travelling with one, you can also report the incident to your tour operator and ask them for assistance. If you wish, the tour operator may accompany you to the local hospital.
It is your choice on whether to report the crime. If you don’t report it, your case may not be investigated.
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 British embassy in Senegal on +221 33 868 60 31, or the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London at 0207 008 5000.
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.
Reporting the crime in Guinea-Bissau - what happens next
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 and social media messages.
Tell the police if you think you have been drugged.
Try to get a police report and request a translation in English if applicable.
The medical examination
If you have been sexually assaulted, you should consider getting medical help as soon as possible.
Treatment
You may be at risk of pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Emergency anti-HIV medication, called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) may prevent HIV infection. Most government hospitals can advise you on PEP medication.
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
Emergency contraception needs to be taken within 72 hours to be effective. This is available over the counter at pharmacies and Government hospitals.
You or your insurer may need to pay for all medical treatment and consultations.
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 website 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 (SARC) - 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.
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).