During 2022, a total 110 victims of domestic violence stayed in the Safe House in Sarajevo. A decrease in the number of placements of female beneficiaries in the Safe House was observed last year compared to 2021, said in an interview with FENA Mubera Hodžić-Lemeš, the manager of the Safe House, which is run by the Local Democracy Foundation.
Hodžić-Lemeš emphasized that individuals with very complex cases of domestic violence to which women have been exposed for many years are most often placed in the Safe House.
“Every case is a very difficult story with painful experiences. For me personally, the most difficult cases are when children were also directly exposed to violence,” she said.
Speaking about how many children are included in the protection program, Hodžić-Lemeš points out that children come to the Safe House together with their mothers, and that most often these are children who were not directly exposed to violence, but are themselves, victims of violence because they witnessed it.
“Last year, 65 percent of the total number of users were children,” said Hodžić-Lemeš.
Three services for victims of violence operate within the Safe House, and the total accommodation capacity is 35 people. The shelter for women and children victims of domestic violence (capacity 25 users, 10 women and 15 children), the shelter for girls aged 12 to 18, victims of incest, rape, sexual violence, domestic violence and others operate within that house, together with the SOS telephone – red line for reporting violence 033 222 000, available 24 hours a day.
There are currently 26 victims of violence residing in the Safe House, of whom nine are women, 12 are children and five are underage girls.
The Safe House manager Mubera Hodžić-Lemeš points out that the Safe House is a temporary form of care for victims of domestic violence whose goal is physical protection and safety, as well as other services that achieve rehabilitation and resocialization of victims of violence.
“In the Safe House, complete psychosocial treatment of the beneficiaries is carried out with the aim of overcoming traumatic experiences, empowering the victims by strengthening self-confidence and self-esteem, developing social skills, economic empowerment and preparations for a better quality of life without violence after leaving the Safe House,” emphasizes Hodžić-Lemeš.
Speaking about the Shelter for Girls Victims of Sexual Violence, she points out that it has been a continuous program since 2002, which refers to the protection of girls aged 12 or above. The capacity of the shelter is up to 10 people. The primary goal of the program is to provide direct protection for girls.
“Psychosocial rehabilitation (group and individual therapy), as well as resocialization (continuation of education and reintegration into social life) are provided to the girls in the shelter. Currently, five girls, victims of violence, are staying in the Shelter for Girls,” said Hodžić-Lemeš.
The Safe House, as a support service for women and girls, victims of gender-based violence, was established by the Local Democracy Foundation back in 2000. Since then, until today, 2,267 users have passed through the Safe House.
In addition, the Local Democracy Foundation has also established services: the SOS number for reporting violence for the Sarajevo Canton (033 222 000) as well as the Women’s Center where women victims of violence, single mothers, victims of war and women on the social margins are provided with free legal, psychological and socio-economic support, Fena reports.
