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.