Guidance

Moldova: information for victims of rape and sexual assault

Published 11 January 2023

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 international emergency number on 112
• contact your tour operator if you are travelling with one
• contact the British embassy Chisinau on +373 22 225 902. 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

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

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 Chisinau on +373 22 225 902 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.

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

Extramarital sex or homosexuality is not a crime in Moldova. Drug consumption without a medical prescription is a criminal offence.

At the police station your report could be taken by a male or female officer – you will not normally be given a choice.

Criminal investigations are conducted in the Romanian language. If you do not speak Romanian, you have the right to an interpreter provided by the Moldovan state.

If you have sought medical assistance before reporting to the police, the doctor who has examined you must inform the police of your case and their findings. If you have reported the matter directly to the police, you will have to undergo a medical examination. This normally involves several tests (blood, gynaecology, urine and others), and an external injuries examination including taking photos of your injuries. The results of the examination and photographic evidence will be provided to the investigators. You will be asked to hand over clothes and objects that the perpetrator may have touched, and your phone and any electronic correspondence or files relevant to the investigation.

We may be able to accompany you to the police station (depending on time and location) if you wish. However, we cannot provide interpretation or attend the police interview. We can help you to contact your insurance company, family and friends, provide you with advice on local procedures and medical assistance. We can also put you in touch with organisations that support victims of rape and sexual assault.

The criminal prosecution body must start a criminal investigation within 30 calendar days from the moment you register your complaint. After that, pre-trial proceedings start.

You will be asked to confirm your identity by presenting an identification document, such as your passport.

You have the right to speak to a lawyer. If you cannot afford a private lawyer, one will be appointed for you by the state.

If you do not want to report the incident to the police in Moldova

The British embassy or consulate 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.

If you want a crime to be investigated, you must report it in the country where it occurred. The sooner you do this, the more evidence will be collected for the investigation to proceed.

You can report a crime when you return to the UK, but UK authorities cannot investigate crimes committed abroad.

If you decide not to report the crime to the police in Moldova, you will still be able to get medical attention. Depending on the medical facility you choose, you may have to pay for your examination and treatment.

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 nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate, or the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London.

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 Moldova: what happens next

You will need to give a statement to the police, either at the police station or at a medical facility. You will be asked about where and when the crime took place, the circumstances of the offence and the appearance of the perpetrator.

The police will keep any clothes or electronic equipment which may be evidence of the attack to present to a forensic examiner.

If you report your incident to the police, they will send or escort you to a specialist medical facility for a forensic examination.

The local police will not normally inform the UK police about the incident.

The medical examination – what to expect

Most hospitals and medical centres provide care for victims of rape and sexual violence. If the doctors have reason to suspect you have been raped or sexually assaulted, they are obliged to inform the police.

Forensic evidence can only be collected at a specialist facility after a police referral.

When you arrive at the hospital, tell the doctor what has happened so that they can carry out the right examination. Your medical records will include the diagnosis, the doctor’s name, the date of the examination, your name, the perpetrator’s name (if known) and a list of the injuries sustained.

The examination may include:

• a mouth swab
• a vaginal swab or colonoscopy
• other tests to trace sweat, hair and DNA

It will also assess any physical injury from the assault. The doctor will refer you for HIV and sexual transmitted disease (STD) testing.

If you have reported the crime to the police, and you have not suffered any serious injuries, you do not have to go to hospital. However you will have to undergo a forensic medical examination. You will also be referred to a family doctor for follow up treatment after the forensic medical examination.

Depending on time and location, we may be able to accompany you to the hospital. We can also contact your friends and family if you wish, and provide information on English-speaking lawyers and certified translators.

Some tour operators can also provide assistance and information.

Treatment

You, or your insurance company will need to pay for hospital treatment and tests. However, under Moldovan law, as a victim of rape or sexual assault you can access free-of-charge post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) kits at public health institutions.

HIV PEP medication needs to be taken within 72 hours of the incident for it to be effective.

The NHS may be able to start or continue treatment 28 days after you return to the UK.

You can buy emergency contraception from a pharmacy with no prescription or medical referral.

You must take emergency contraception within 72 hours of the incident for it to be effective.

If you have had medication administered overseas, keep the label or take a note of the name of the medication, so that you can inform your local health provider when you return home.

Police investigations in Moldova – what to expect

The police may ask you to return to the scene of the crime in order to provide a full account of what happened to you. You are not obliged to go if you do not want to.

You will not be present when a suspect is arrested, but will later be asked to help identify them. This will usually take the form of a police identity parade, when a suspect is lined up with at least 4 other people that resemble them. The suspect should not normally be able to see you, although not all Moldovan police stations have the facilities to keep your identity hidden. Alternatively you may be asked view photographs to identify the suspect .

The police cannot detain a suspect for more than 72 hours without charging them. If the prosecutor considers there is sufficient evidence, they will seek an arrest warrant.

The suspect or accused person may be:

• arrested as a preventive measure
• released on bail
• placed under house arrest
• placed under judicial control

You are entitled to legal aid in Moldova. Lawyers can accompany you and speak to the prosecutor or investigator on your behalf. They will usually have access to your case file.

You should not face any travel restrictions once you have filed your case with the police and forensic evidence has been obtained. However you may be asked to return to Moldova at a later stage of the investigation.

Court procedures – what to expect

If a trial takes place, you will be expected to testify. The trial can be a long process and, depending on how complex the case is, court hearings can last more than 12 months. You may be able to give evidence via videoconference, including from the UK.

If you decide to withdraw your report at any time, the charges may be dropped if the judge and prosecutor agree.

Making false accusations is a crime in Moldova. An alleged perpetrator can press counter charges claiming false accusations.

If a perpetrator is found guilty of rape or sexual assault, they may face the following penalties or punishment, depending on severity of the crime:

• a fine in the amount of 650 to 850 conventional units (the conventional unit is equal to 50 MDL – Moldovan Leu ) or community service for 140 to 240 hours or by
• imprisonment for up to 3 years
• imprisonment for 3 to 5 years
• imprisonment for 5 to 12 years
• imprisonment for 10 to 20 years, or life imprisonment

Courts can order perpetrators to pay compensation to victims of rape and sexual violence.

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.

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.

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

Support organisations in Moldova

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

Name	Telephone	Address	Opening times	Services offered
La Strada Moldova - La Strada International	+ 373 22 234 906 + 373 79 02 78 54 +373 80 088 008 (Trust line)	Chisinau MD-2012 Republic of Moldova office@lastrada.md	Trust line is open 24/7	psychological counselling, legal aid, information about the system of support and protection for people affected by domestic violence, including sexual violence Online consultation: www.siguronline.md
Women’s Law Center	+373 80 080 000 (Trust line) +373 22 811 999 +373 68 855 050	76 Kogalniceanu str Chisinau office@cdf.md	Trust line is open 24/7	protect women’s rights - focus on survivors of gender-based and domestic violence
National Centre for the Prevention of Violence Against Children (CNPAC/NCCAP)	+373 78 000 480 +373 22 758 806	61/2, Calea Iesilor str Chisinau <office@cnpac.md, ajutauncopil@cnpac.md>		psychological help, legal advice, social mediation
Association against Violence “Casa Marioarei”	+373 22 72 58 61 +373 69 333 260 +373 69 333 261	cmarioarei@gmail.com	Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm	temporary shelter, psychological care, health care for women and children
Rehabilitation Centre “Memoria” Bine aţi venit!	+373 79 704 809 +373 79 504 809 +373 69 512 855	rctv@memoria.md	Monday to Friday: 9am to 6pm	psychological care, medical care and prescription of medication, psychotherapy (individual and group), legal counselling
Victim Assistance and Protection Centre CAP.MD - Centrul de Asistenţă şi Protecţie a Victimelor şi Potenţialelor Victime ale Traficului de Fiinţe Umane (CAP)	+373 22 927 194 +373 69 053 817	shelter_team@cap.md	24/7	psychological help, legal advice, social assistance, health care

Disclaimer

This information has been prepared by UK government 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 the UK government 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).