Klaipėdos universitetas

The article analyses the situation of access to help for women who have experienced sexual abuse in the family environment, and identifies the problems they face after experiencing sexual abuse in a close relationship. The problem of violence against women in Lithuania was raised relatively recently, only after the restoration of independence. The first studies were carried out in the 1990s, but the public did not realise the extent of the problem until much later, and it was only in 2011 when the Law on Protection against Violence in a Close Environment was adopted, which was the start of systematic state support for victims of violence. It is only in recent years that we have started to talk about the problem of violence in specific groups, such as sexual violence in a close relationship. It has also been noted that one type of violence, physical violence, dominates in both research and anti-violence practice, while sexual violence is perhaps the most silent, both within the family environment and outside it. The aim of this article is to highlight the problems faced by women experiencing sexual violence in a close relationship, and the possibilities for accessing help.

The article deals with the problem of domestic violence against women and assesses the expression of this phenomenon in the context of a society approach. The statistical construct of this phenomenon confirms the assumption that the establishment of legal fundamentals for protection against violence is linked to a process of changing the society approach to this issue. The analysis of theoretical and legal discourse of domestic violence reveals that the consistent implementation of the strategy of legal protection of victims against domestic violence has enabled the creation of a specialized comprehensive assistance infrastructure system throughout the country, which provides access to appropriate medical, psychological, legal assistance and at the same time entitles the society to develop prevention programmes that help to establish intolerance towards violence. The Republic of Lithuania Law on Protection against Domestic Violence (2011) has laid strong foundations for the establishment of specialized assistance centres and implies the development of necessary infrastructure.