Rights groups urge victims to come forward as detained women report police abuse, harassment, rape threats
The head of Georgia’s European Orbit group and former Public Defender Nino Lomjaria has reported that, since 28 November, a hotline, established by a network of local rights organisations in Georgia, has documented the detention of 10 women.
In a statement on behalf of a coalition of rights groups, Lomjaria reported that the detained women were subjected to ‘physical violence, inhumane and degrading treatment, sexual harassment, and threats of rape by the police.’
Nino Lomjaria recounted one of the detainees' earlier public statement that she was filmed at the police station and subjected to degrading sexual remarks and a claim made by another victim claiming to have been deceived by a police officer who escorted her away from the protest site citing safety concerns, only to assault her afterward.
The coalition of rights groups has called on women who may have experienced similar incidents but have not yet come forward to share their experiences saying they would provide them with legal assistance ‘with full confidentiality’. The coalition also pledged to help affected women access rehabilitation services.