Brussels Launches Olista Support Center for Violence Victims

Brussels (Brussels Morning) – Brussels introduces Olista, its first multidisciplinary support centre for domestic violence victims. Led by State Secretary Nawal Ben Hamou, Olista aims to offer holistic care and coordination for those in need.

The Brussels-Capital Region launched its first interdisciplinary support centre for victims of domestic violence. ‘Olista’ is an endeavour led by State Secretary for Equal Opportunities Nawal Ben Hamou (PS) in collaboration with Safe.brussels. The centre seeks to bring a network of pre-existing assistance together, including legal, psycho-social, executive and medical services. Focus will be put on providing holistic care for every individual who asks for it.

“This multidisciplinary centre aims to manage the most problematic cases of women victims of domestic violence, to direct them effectively to the competent authorities and help resolve their dreadful situations,” Ben Hamou described Belga News Agency.

“In practical terms, our members – whether it is the Brussels court, police, social services or medical centres – can reach out to us for coordination assistance with domestic violence cases they are unable to cope with,” stated Anita Biondo, centre coordinator and project manager at Safe.Brussels. “We will review the situation, identify the victim’s specific needs and pinpoint which partner is best suited to provide them with optimal aid.”

What Facilities Does Olista Offer Victims?

Based in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Olista presents two interview rooms, a consultation room and several offices. The region expects to expand the centre’s capabilities in the future by making a frontline service for domestic abuse victims.

There were 4848 declarations of domestic violence in 2022, as well as two specified femicides. In 2023, there were 26 registered femicides, but these figures are likely to be minimised due to a failure on Belgium’s part to sufficiently collect data relating to domestic and gender-related violence.

What Initiatives Place Belgium as a Leader?

Nevertheless, Belgium hopes to position itself as a leader in the fight against gender-related violence. The country enacted a historic law against femicide in 2022 which exalted the definition of femicide as the intentional killing of a woman just because she is a woman.

Belgium also marked the Council of Europe’s Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (the ‘Istanbul Convention’) in 2016, which demands signatories to collect statistical data on gender-based violence.

What are the Primary Objectives of Olista?

The goal of this cooperative project is to put together a process and tools for consultation. In the long term, the project strives to prevent domestic violence and reduce its individual and social impacts through intensive intersectoral cooperation.

To this end, the project has two primary objectives: develop a structured collaborative process for the intersectoral handling of cases of domestic violence and set up physical space as an inter- and multidisciplinary reception centre for victims.