What is meant by organised sexualised and ritual violence?
Organised sexualised violence is the systematic use of severe sexualised violence in combination with physical and psychological violence inflicted by several perpetrators and/or perpetrator networks. It is often associated with commercial sexual exploitation, such as forced prostitution or producing abuse images.
If an ideology serves as a justification for violence, then this is referred to as ritual violence. Such an ideology can be religious and occur in the context of cults and sects or it can be derived from a political belief, e.g. as found in racist or fascist groups.
Organised sexualised or ritual violence often begins in early childhood
The majority of those survivors who contact the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, the UBSKM office and the berta telephone help line report that they were placed in organised structures by their parents or foster parents. In some cases, the parents' generation had grown up in the existing group and the various forms of violence that went with it. Sexual violence started in early childhood and often continued into adulthood. The survivors described hierarchies within the group, with men generally forming the management level. Great importance was given to the strict rule of silence as well as an impeccable and inconspicuous appearance to the outside world.
The survivors have had to struggle with numerous and considerable consequences in adulthood. They are often severely physically impaired and suffer from traumatic stress disorders such as dissociation. Furthermore, they are often not believed that the abuse occurred in this context. Furthermore, survivors who want to break away from these violent structures are often blackmailed, pressurised and persecuted.
More information about the organised sexualised and ritual violence issue can be found at the Sexual Abuse Help portal.
Through their new practical guidelines for practices, N.I.N.A. provides support, advice and encouragement to specialists who want to escape from organised sexualised and ritual violence structures. Helpers have many urgent questions when it comes to establishing protection and security and supporting the survivors in their attempts to escape from perpetrator networks.
