Submits action plan against rape - Norway Today

Norwegian Government submits action plan against rape

The Norwegian Government is presenting its new action plan against rape today. The plan embraces broadly and includes measures aimed at, among other things, primary and lower secondary education, the health and care services, the police and the legal system.

“Rape is a serious criminal act that causes great damage to the victim. It is also a crime that helps break down society. The Government gives priority to efforts to combat rape, along with other sexual crimes, ”Acting Minister of Justice and Immigration, Jon Georg Dale (Progress Party), states.

The measures in the action plan are divided into five focus areas: Targeted prevention, strengthened assistance after a rape, better follow-up of the perpetrators, enhanced investigation and treatment in court, and more knowledge and expertise.

“Rape is part of a major public health problem and needs to be combated with a holistic and aggressive policy. Therefore, we strengthen and implement a quality reform in the police, while also giving priority to lifting the support system for the victims,” Dale continues.

The National Knowledge Center on Violence and Traumatic Stress’s survey from 2014 shows that 9.4 per cent of women and 1.1 per cent of men report having been raped during their lives. Half of the women who reported rape were raped before the age of 18.

In 2018, 1 758 rapes were reported to police in Norway. Only ten per cent of the women who in the survey stated that they had been subjected to rape had reported the abuse to the police.

Action plan against rape 2019-2022

The action plan has been prepared in cooperation between the Ministry of Children and Equality, the Ministry of Health and Care Services, the Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Planning.

The action plan has five focus areas with a total of 33 different measures.

Focus area 1: Targeted prevention

Focus area 2: Help after rape

Focus area 3: Follow-up of the perpetrators

Focus area 4: Investigation and treatment in legal proceedings

Focus area 5: Knowledge and competence

The Norwegian Police Directorate will be responsible for coordinating the work on following up the plan and reporting on the results achieved.

Each ministry is responsible for implementing measures within its own area of responsibility.