Guidance

Serbia: information for victims of rape and sexual assault

Updated 19 March 2025

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 and you will be put through to the local police in Serbia

• contact your tour operator if you are travelling with one

• contact the British Embassy in Belgrade (+381 11 306 0900). 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

British Embassy Belgrade - GOV.UK

Extramarital sex and homosexuality are not illegal in Serbia. Drinking alcohol or using drugs are not crimes but could be considered an aggravating circumstance (e.g. driving under the influence).

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

In Serbia, you can report the crime:

• by phone (192 or, for domestic violence – 0800 100 600),

• in writing

• in person (at the police station)

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 nearest British embassy or consulate on +381 11 306 0900 and they can offer you consular support.

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

It is your choice on whether to report the crime. However, the crime must be reported in Serbia in order for it to be investigated.

If you do not want to report the incident to the police in Serbia, the British embassy in Belgrade will still be able to help you. The Embassy can offer you a meeting with a consular officer to discuss available options. 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.

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 Serbia, 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 Serbia where the crime took place, you should report the crime while in 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 Serbia where the crime happened. However, it is up to Serbian authorities to decide whether and how 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 Serbia - what happens next?

At the police station

You will need to show your passport at the police station in order to verify your identity and prepare your statement. Your passport will then be returned to you.

Please note that the state will not appoint a lawyer for you when reporting rape or sexual assault. However, you will be able to hire your own lawyer if you need legal support while reporting the crime. If you choose to appoint a lawyer, they will have access to the initial case file. 

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.

At the police station you may be offered the choice to speak to a female police officer. If there is no English-speaking police officer available, you will be provided with an interpreter to help take your statement. You will be asked to sign the paperwork that contains your statement.

Tell the police if you think you have been drugged. Insist you get a police report, and request a translation in English if applicable.

You will be asked to provide:

• a description of the assault and the perpetrator
• details of any correspondence with the perpetrator
• details that could help identify the perpetrator
• information about when and where the assault happened
• the police may take you to the scene of the crime or to a location to identify your attacker
• information about any witnesses present
• the police may take items they consider could be evidence, including clothes and personal electronic devices

You may be asked to give another statement in front of the prosecutor.

You will be able to leave the country while the case proceeds. If there were an exception to this, the police would need to provide an explanation and communicate this to you and your lawyer.

The police may take you to a hospital for a medical examination. This examination will be free of charge. The results of the medical examination will be used as evidence in the investigation.

The medical examination – what to expect

If you inform hospital staff that you are a victim of rape and sexual assault, they have an obligation to inform the police.

Only hospitals with specialist forensic medicine departments can conduct a medical examination for the purposes of gathering evidence. You may be referred to another medical establishment if necessary.

The medical staff will document your general health, including menstrual cycle (where appropriate), potential allergies and pregnancy status; trauma assessment; taking fingernail clippings or scrapings; taking samples for sperm or seminal fluid; collection of bloody, torn, or stained clothing; taking samples for blood typing, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and DNA screening.

The forensic examination will be carried out free of charge if it is done through a police referral.

If you are travelling with a tour operator, you can ask them to accompany you to the hospital. If you want, we may be able to come with you as well (depending on timing and location). We can help you deal with the local authorities in arranging a medical examination, where possible with a female doctor if you prefer. We can also arrange for you to see a doctor who can give advice on sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, pregnancy, abortion or emergency contraception (the morning after pill).

Treatment

The post-exposure prophylaxis treatment that can prevent HIV infection (HIV PEP) is available in Serbia.

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.

You can purchase emergency contraception from any licensed pharmacy without prescription or medical referral. You will need to pay for this.

Emergency contraception needs to be taken within 72 hours of the incident for it to be effective.

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.

Court procedures – what to expect

You will be expected to testify in court when the public prosecutor formally initiates criminal proceedings. This happens when the suspect is formally charged. During the pre-investigative and investigative procedures, the police and the public prosecutor will be in touch with you. When the criminal proceedings begin, you can check the status of the proceedings with the court (clerk office of the court). If you appoint a local lawyer they can check the status of your case, communicate on your behalf with the court, file any relevant submissions (where needed) and attend court hearings.

Rape is a criminal offence in Serbia and subject to an automatic state prosecution. You cannot choose to drop the charges: only the public prosecutor can do this.

If the perpetrator is found guilty, you can file a claim for compensation.

Please note that false accusation is a crime in Serbia.

How can my case be taken to trial?

If you report the crime to the police, the police and the public prosecutor will take action to identify and prosecute the offender. Your statement can be given in the police station. You will be asked to sign the paperwork that contains your statement. If the police inspector finds that a crime has been committed, the inspector will draft criminal charges and submit to the prosecutor.

The public prosecutor is responsible for initiating an investigation after the police lodge the criminal charges. At that moment, the pre-investigative procedure starts: led by the public prosecutor, but the activities are carried out by the police. Then the prosecutor announces a formal investigative procedure (at that moment criminal proceedings formally start), during which the prosecutor collects all evidence and decides whether the terms are met for filing an indictment against the offender. If the indictment is filed, the court proceedings will begin.

You can choose to attend preliminary and subsequent hearings. You may be required to give statement to the court.

Trial procedures

You will be informed when public prosecutor files an indictment. This happens when there is reasonable suspicion that a certain person has committed a crime. The trial will be conducted in the Serbian language and an interpreter will be invited if the parties do not speak Serbian. You will need to present at the court in order to testify. You are not required to be present at other court sessions unless the court invites you to provide additional evidence/testimony.

Sometimes the court may allow giving of a statement through video call, in which case you may be allowed to testify from the UK. If you are required to attend the court in person, please note that the Serbian authorities will not assist with travel or accommodation arrangements.

The pre-investigative procedure and the investigative procedure usually take months to conclude. The trial and sentencing process may last several years. The defendant has the right to file an appeal.

Hiring a lawyer

Your lawyer can be present when you give your statements, and they can check the status of your case, review your case file and attend hearings on your behalf. In general, all lawyers who practice criminal law can provide advice in rape and sexual assault cases.

List of lawyers in Serbia

Communication

In the pre-investigative and the investigative procedure, the police officers and the prosecutor will keep you updated. It is important that you share accurate contact details to the police officers and the prosecutor.

If you are not resident in Serbia, you will be asked to share your contact details and keep the police informed if your details change. The authorities can also communicate with you through your lawyer, if you choose to appoint one.

Legal aid

There is no entitlement to legal aid for victims of rape and sexual assault in Serbia.

Under certain circumstances, victims are entitled to legal aid in case of rape and sexual assault that occurred as part of wider family and domestic violence. The request for approval of free legal aid should be submitted to the municipality administration depending on the applicant’s place of residence, stay or the location where the legal aid is to be provided. The request can be submitted in writing, orally for the record or via email. The request may be also submitted by a legal representative or any other person with proof of legal representation or power of attorney.

Please note that the application process for free legal aid can be time-consuming and bureaucratic.

Certain NGOs offer free legal support for victims of rape and sexual assault, for further information please see Support organizations in Serbia.

Sentencing

Rape falls into the category of crimes against sexual freedom. The sentence determined by the criminal code is imprisonment of 2 to 15 years.

If the perpetrator is found not guilty, the court will order their release. In Serbia there is not official register of sex offenders.

Compensation

You can file a claim for compensation to be considered at the conclusion of the court proceedings. For further information on compensations procedures please contact your legal representative.

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 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	Sexual Assault Referral Centre The Rowan or 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 the UK

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

Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis Centre is a UK-wide support service for women and girls aged 13 and over who have been raped, sexually assaulted or sexually abused at some point in their lifetime.

Telephone helpline & free phone: +44(0)8088 00 00 14) 

Connect Live Helpline gives British survivors of sexual violence access to UK-based support from anywhere in the world, on Skype, FaceTime, Instant Messenger and email.

The Survivors Trust is a UK-wide national umbrella agency for 130 specialist organisations for support for the impact of rape, sexual violence and childhood sexual abuse throughout the UK and Ireland.

Tel: +44(0)808 801 0818.

Survivors UK have a national web chat service for men and their families, partners and friends. They open seven days a week and can be accessed through their website.

Alternatively, you can contact them on:

WhatsApp: +44(0)74 91816064 Tel: +44(0)203 5983898 (Office)

Support organisations in Serbia

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

Autonomous Women’s Centre

Tel: 0800 100 007 

Monday to Friday, 10am to 8pm

They offer psychological support and legal advice. Calls and services are free of charge. They have English-speaking staff.

Centre for Women’s Support

Specialized centre for providing support to victims of sexual violence, supporting remotely the whole territory of Serbia and providing in-person support in Novi Sad, Kikinda, Zrenjanin, Vrbas and Sremska Mitrovica.

Tel: +381 230 437343

Emai: podrskacpz@gmail.com

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.