Our team at Gender Stream works with hate crime, providing advocacy for victims and psychological support through our platform, VARTOVI. We recognise that each case is unique and that generalisations cannot be made. However, there are certain patterns and reasons why people who have experienced violence because of their LGBTQI+ identity do not go to the police.
Mistrust of law enforcement
Members of the LGBTQI+ community often mistrust the police due to past experiences of discrimination or lack of support from law enforcement. Gender Stream actively engages with the police to demand proper investigation of hate crimes in accordance with the law.
Inadequate investigation and impunity
Law enforcement officials do not always properly classify hate crimes, often treating them as hooliganism. This complicates investigations and increases the risk of impunity. We are training the police to improve their response to such crimes.
Fear of further persecution
Victims often fear that reporting to the police will lead to further persecution or even more violence. We provide psychological support to ensure that individuals are not left alone with their traumatic experiences and can seek help without fear.
Fear of exposure and social stigma
Many victims are not ready to come out and avoid public exposure. They fear that their sexual orientation or gender identity will be revealed, which could lead to social stigma. For this reason, we guarantee the privacy of anyone who comes to us and will not disclose any personal information without their consent.
Lack of awareness of safeguards
Many people do not know where to turn for help in such situations. VARTOVI is the only platform in Ukraine that provides comprehensive support for victims of hate crimes.
If you or a loved one has been affected by a crime because of your LGBTQI+ identity, contact us.
Complete the application on our website and our monitors will contact you within 2 working days.