Guidance

Information for survivors of rape and sexual assault in Guinea

Published 29 November 2022

© Crown copyright 2022

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guinea-information-for-survivors-of-rape-and-sexual-assault/information-for-survivors-of-rape-and-sexual-assault-in-guinea

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 your nearest police station, or the Gendarmerie*
  • contact your tour operator if you are travelling with one
  • contact the British embassy in Conakry on +224 626 26 4040. Embassy staff will be empathetic, and 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

Gendarmerie contact numbers are specific to each city/region:

  • 122 - Conakry
  • 125 - Kindia
  • 126 - Boké
  • 127 - Mamou
  • 128 - Faranah
  • 129 - Kankan
  • 130 - Nzérékoré
  • 135 - Labé
  • 136 - Guekedou

If you do want to report the incident to the police in Guinea.

If you have a tour operator, they should be able to arrange for someone to support you. If you are in an area where there is a British embassy or consulate, they will try to send a consular officer to support you, where timing and location allow. 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 on +224 626 26 4040 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.

Don’t forget to:

  • tell the police if you think you have been drugged
  • insist you get a police report and request a translation in English if applicable

Whilst adultery is not, homosexuality is a crime in Guinea. However, the country’s rape law recognises that men and women can be victims of same-sex rape. If it is established that the victim is a homosexual, there is then a risk of facing criminal charges themselves. With such a strong cultural bias against homosexuality, it would be advisable in such cases to be accompanied by a trusted person when reporting such crimes to the police.

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

The British Embassy 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. If you wish, and depending on location and timing, a member of consular staff may be able to accompany you.

It is your choice on whether to report the crime. If you don’t report it, your case may not be investigated.

In Guinea, a crime needs to be reported in-country for it to be investigated. If you choose not to report the crime, you will still be able to get medical attention, but the medical practitioner may report the case to the police.

If you want to report the incident to the police in the UK

It is possible to report the crime to police in the UK. However, it is for foreign police forces to decide whether to investigate a crime in their jurisdiction. UK police forces cannot investigate crimes committed overseas.

If you report the incident to the police in the UK, it is likely that the police in the UK will treat it as a complaint rather than a report of a crime. It can therefore be very difficult to guarantee that any justice can be accessed without reporting the crime locally. Please see Rape and Sexual Assault: Returning to the UK for more information.

Reporting the crime in Guinea - 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.

Evidence such as the clothes you were wearing may be retained by the police. Electronic equipment such as mobile phones will be taken temporarily to secure data that might serve as evidence – these will be returned to you.

During your interview, the police or gendarmerie will ask questions to help them conduct their investigations. This could include making a statement about the incident and giving a description of the perpetrator(s). You may request an officer of a particular gender, as well as an interpreter.

If needed, the police might ask the UK police to carry out checks on you. Such requests are sent through diplomatic channels.

OPROGEM (vice squad) and Gendarmerie’s Protection Centre Services are equipped with gender-trained officers who will refer cases to better equipped institutions, such as the National Director of Children Services, when necessary.

Insist you get a police report, and request a translation in English if applicable.

The public prosecutor’s office will head the investigation. They are informed by the judicial police officer empowered at the police station.

The medical examination – what to expect

All government hospitals in Guinea treat victims of rape and sexual assault. Psychological monitoring by social services is limited to large cities only.

Images of injuries, traces of physical attacks and scars may be obtained and stored to support the investigation, in the interest of the victim but with respect for their dignity. Voice and video recordings of depositions are accepted in court.

The British Embassy will try to send a consular officer to support you, if you wish and where timing and location allow. You will always be able to speak to trained consular staff on the telephone 24/7.

Treatment

Hospital medical staff can give you advice on “Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP)” medication, a treatment that may prevent HIV infection. This is only available in urban centres and prefecture district hospitals. More information on risks is available on the NHS website.

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.

In Guinea, emergency contraception can be given to you at the hospital as part of the emergency treatment, but will require a medical referral. However, it is available at private pharmacies without a prescription. It needs to be taken within 72 hours of the incident for it to be effective.

Both public and private hospital care is available in Guinea. If seeking treatment in a private facility, you may be asked to pay for your treatment. You can make a claim through your insurance.

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 can let your local health provider know when you return home.

Police investigations in Guinea – what to expect

You will be required to give a statement. In certain circumstances, the police may take you to the crime scene, or to where you think the attacker is located, to try to identify and arrest the attacker. You may request to not have contact with the accused, if you believe this will cause you any distress or trauma.

It is possible that a suspect is brought to the police station and you will be asked to make an identification. You may request to have your identity protected.

All arrests made in relation to the case can lead to investigations. The public prosecutor will be made aware of the case as indictment is decided by the prosecutor’s office only. This should happen in less than 48 hours, as suspects cannot be detained beyond that period, or after 72 hours, as detention can be extended to that.

Once the case has been filed, you will be able to leave the country. However once trial starts, you will have to be in country to give evidence. Your lawyer can make a request on your behalf, should you choose not to attend.

Court procedures – what to expect

If a suspect is ordered to trial, you will be expected to appear in court to testify. However, if you are not available to testify, your lawyer can represent you. They can also make a request for remote or anonymous representation during the hearing stage.

It is not compulsory to have a lawyer. In this event, you have a right to be kept informed of developments, and can arrange for this through the support of relevant NGOs, or by maintaining a contact at the court. However, we recommend taking a lawyer – it can be very difficult for someone who is not familiar with the legal system to navigate all the information and procedural steps.

If the case is referred for further investigation, you will be asked to provide an additional statement.

You are allowed to withdraw the charges during the court proceedings. However, this will not stop the ongoing criminal proceedings because under Guinean law, the public prosecutor has the ability to prosecute even when a victim has withdrawn charges.

The accused can make counter-accusations, claiming false accusations in their defence. In the event of a conviction for rape or sexual assault, the courts can order the offender to pay compensation for any injuries or losses, either after they have been convicted in a criminal court or as a result of civil action.

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.

Support organisations in Guinea

It is your choice to let people know. If you are ready to talk about it, these organisations may be able to help you:

1. OPROGEM - Office de protection du Genre de l’Enfance et des Mœurs

Country-wide vice squad, police and public service in charge of gender-based violence, and rape and sexual assault cases in Guinea.

2. AGUIAS (Association Guinéenne des Assistantes Sociales)

Social and psychological support to victims of gender-based violence.

Telephone: +224 621 753 535 (24/7 French, English)

3. Sabou Guinée

Support to vulnerable children.

4. MDT - Mêmes Droits pour Tous

Human rights NGO .

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).

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