Victims of abuse in health facilities should seek police station soon, says lawyer

Victims of violence by health professionals in laboratories, consultations or hospitals, as in the case of a woman raped during a cesarean section in São João de Meriti (RJ), should seek care at specialized police stations as soon as possible.

“If the woman understands that there has been violence, she must immediately go to the nearest DDM (Women’s Defense Police Station). Today, there is a whole range of professionals to assist victims, including psychologists”, says lawyer Rosana Chiavassa, specialized in the areas of health and violence against women.

According to her, there are NGOs that can help the victim, but the ideal is to go straight to the police station, even so as not to lose evidence. In the state of São Paulo, the list of police stations can be consulted on the Toda in-Rede program website.

In cities where there is no specialized police station or it is closed, the victim must be accompanied by someone they trust to the general service station. If her case is not attended to or if the treatment is unsatisfactory, she can go to the forum to ask the social worker for help and call the Public Ministry.

Another possibility is to call the Military Police. “The city may not have a DDM, it may not have a forum, but it has Military Police and the military police, at least in the state of São Paulo, are receiving training. Police officers are learning to deal with women who are victims of violence,” says Rosana.

In cases where the victim has injuries, the recommendation is to seek help. “Are you hurt? Go to the hospital first because the hospital calls the police. Aren’t you hurt? Go to the police station. And all this has to be done as soon as possible. Did it happen in the middle of the night and you’re not hurt? , go to the police station. The way is to seek the authorities”, he reinforces.

According to the lawyer, if the patient has been anesthetized and has doubts about what happened during the medical procedure, the advice is to call the hospital’s ombudsman as soon as possible, ask for care and investigation.

Chiavassa also states that if the doctor does not call a secretary or assistant to accompany the procedure and the patient is uncomfortable with it, she can ask someone to accompany this professional.

Asking to record the call is also an option. “The health professional will hardly commit any violence if the patient is conscious or recording, it is a protection. The problem is when the patient is unconscious, anesthetized. This is the big question. What can women do in these cases? require the presence of a companion from hospitals”.