Questions & answers
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Your priority is to ensure your safety, as well as that of your children if you have any, and to take care of yourself physically and psychologically.Initial urgent stepsCall the Police (117) and/or emergency services (144).Get to a place of safety while waiting for emergency services.Do not wash, seek first medical care.Go to the emergency department. In the event of sexual assault, go to the gynaecological and obstetric emergency unit located at the Maternity Hospital of the HUG.Obtain a medical report: go to the medico-legal consultation for adult victims of violence (CMLV) at the Cantonal Hospital of Geneva. In the event of sexual assault, the report is made by the gynaecological and obstetric emergency unit for women located at the Maternity Hospital of the HUG and at the adult emergency department for men. Preserve evidence. For example, place the clothes worn during the assault in a paper bag.Take care of yourself, speak to those around you, do not remain alone.

You have the right to leave the marital home for your safety! In Switzerland, a spouse has the right to refuse cohabitation if their personality, their material security or the welfare of the family is seriously threatened. The police may impose removal measures against the perpetrator of the violence, in order to prohibit them from entering certain places and/or approaching one or more persons.And afterwards…​If you have not yet done so, obtain a medical report and/or a sexual assault report (even several days after the events).Report the facts.Document incidents of violence, for example by uploading evidence of the incidents to the secure Safe Withyou platformStrengthen security measures if you consider it useful (be accompanied by a relative when travelling, change locks, etc.).Take shelter with a relative or a neighbour.If you cannot find a suitable place within your network to ensure your safety, contact the shelter Le Pertuis on 022 309 57 28Do not remain alone, speak out!​Contact us! We will handle your request in a strictly confidential manner.

“VSA (LAVI)” is the acronym for the Federal Act on Support for the Victims of Crime. The purpose of the VSA (LAVI) is to provide support and reparation to persons who have been victims of a criminal offence affecting their physical, psychological and/or sexual integrity, as well as to their relatives. It is intended for persons who have suffered an offence in Switzerland. If the offence is committed abroad, the victim must have been resident in Switzerland at the time of the offence and at the time when the application was submitted.

The LAVI Centre offers psychological, legal and social support, provides information on victims’ rights and on the course of judicial proceedings, and helps to consider solutions adapted to each situation. It may also assist persons in their steps, refer them to specialised services and support them throughout any criminal proceedings, in particular by accompanying them at hearings.In addition to this support, the Centre may grant financial assistance to cover all or part of the costs directly related to the offence, such as emergency accommodation, medical or psychotherapeutic care, lawyers’ fees, or certain protection measures.

Not all offences affecting integrity fall within the competence of the VSA (LAVI). For this reason, the Centre must understand your situation in order to determine whether it is competent to assist you before arranging an appointment, or to refer you to the appropriate network.

Contact the LAVI Centre by telephone on 022 320 01 02. If you are calling for the first time, your situation will be assessed in order to determine whether it falls within our competence. If this is the case, we will offer you an appointment at the Centre. If necessary, we will help you to put in place immediate measures, for example to ensure your protection. If the VSA (LAVI) does not apply to your situation, you will be referred to another service better able to respond to your request.

Our reception staff answer all calls and ensure the administrative and financial follow-up of our beneficiaries. All new requests are directed to our social caseworkers. If you are calling for the first time, your situation will be assessed in order to determine whether it falls within our competence. If this is the case, we will offer you an appointment at the Centre. If necessary, we will help you to put in place immediate measures, for example to ensure your protection.If the VSA (LAVI) does not apply to your situation, you will be referred to another service better able to respond to your request. During your appointment at the LAVI Centre, you will meet a LAVI caseworker who will receive you for a consultation aimed at assessing your needs. He or she will provide you with psychological, legal and social support, which may include the granting of financial assistance.

Yes, consultations are entirely free of charge.

Yes, consultations are strictly confidential. The activities of the LAVI Centre are protected by official secrecy, a specific duty of confidentiality defined by Article 11 of the VSA (LAVI).

Yes, when you contact us by telephone, our staff can speak several foreign languages, including English, Spanish and Portuguese. If you do not speak any of these languages, you may ask someone you know to assist you when you call us. Consultations at the LAVI Centre may be organised with the presence of an interpreter, who will be paid for by us.

Yes, you may come to the Centre with your children. We have waiting rooms, which are not supervised, with toys and books for them. That said, due to the nature of our consultations, we recommend, if possible, that you arrange childcare for your children during your appointment at the LAVI Centre.We can also assist you in organising childcare at your home, through the Chaperon Rouge childcare service, which we may cover during the consultation.You may also come to the LAVI Centre accompanied by a person from your circle who will look after your children in our waiting room. We have the necessary equipment to change your baby on site, if required (changing table).

Yes, our team is composed of women and men.

Yes, the LAVI Centre can assist you regardless of when the offence occurred.

For the drafting of your complaint or report, you may obtain assistance by contacting the LAVI Centre, a legal consultation service or a lawyer. If you are a victim within the meaning of the VSA (LAVI), the Centre may cover the initial hours of advice necessary to carry out essential steps in criminal or civil matters, in order to file a complaint or to ensure the protection of your integrity or that of your children. Attention, your lawyer must first obtain a voucher from us and agree to be remunerated at the rate of cantonal legal aid, which we apply by analogy, in accordance with the applicable regulations.

Yes, the LAVI Centre can assist you even if the perpetrator has not been identified.

If you are a victim within the meaning of the VSA (LAVI), the LAVI Centre may grant you financial assistance depending on your situation and on what you have suffered. This assistance is intended to cover costs directly related to the offence, such as your protection, your care or an interpreter if you do not speak French. It complements what other bodies (such as insurance) do not cover. If necessary, this assistance may continue over time, until your state of health has stabilised and the consequences of the offence have been alleviated. In the longer term, the amount granted will depend on your financial situation as well as that of the persons with whom you live.

If you are a victim within the meaning of the VSA (LAVI) and depending on your needs, financial assistance may be granted to you to cover costs related to the offence. This assistance is free of charge initially. In order to benefit from it over the longer term, you must complete a form by providing full information about your situation. Your application will be treated confidentially. You must then send the form, dated and signed, together with the supporting documents, to the LAVI Centre. Please consult the information on the page THE LAVI CENTRE.

It is not necessary to have reported the offence or filed a complaint, nor to intend to do so, in order to contact the LAVI Centre. We support you with or without a criminal complaint. We help you to reflect on this if you are hesitating to file a complaint, we explain your rights and provide you with information on criminal proceedings in order to help you make your decision.

Victim support assists all persons who have been victims in Switzerland of a criminal offence affecting their physical, psychological or sexual integrity, regardless of their nationality or their residence status. If the offence was committed abroad, the victim must have been resident in Switzerland at the time of the offence and at the time when the application was submitted.

Yes, LGBTIQ+ persons are welcome in our structure. You will be listened to, supported and accompanied without judgement or discrimination.We ensure an inclusive and respectful reception for all. Our teams are trained and attentive to providing a safe, confidential and inclusive space, where everyone can express themselves freely and be recognised in their identity.

We receive by appointment only. You will find us at 72, Boulevard Saint-Georges. The reception is located on the 3rd floor.By public transport: tram 15, bus 1, 2 or 19, stop “Cirque”.By car: Place de Plainpalais car park.

For persons with reduced mobility: the reception of the LAVI Centre is located on the 3rd floor. The width of the lift door is 70 cm. Our premises are not yet equipped with adapted toilets.The nearest parking spaces for persons with disabilities are:Rue des Savoises 5, 1205 GenevaRue Hornung 1, 1205 GenevaRue du Diorma (opposite No. 14), 1205 GenevaSee Parking for persons with disabilities | ge.chFor persons with hearing impairment, the presence of a sign language interpreter may be arranged and the costs will be covered by us.