Sexual offences are some of the most sophisticated crimes, where victims are haunted by shame and fear, and their abusers often avoid the punishment they deserve. INTERPOL representative Rosemary Nalubega are talking about the skills and knowledge that officers lack to better help victims of sexual exploitation.

It is important to mention that just about anyone can be the victim of sexual violence and it is crucial that law enforcement and other stakeholders be aware of just how widespread sexual violence can be.
If we only expect sexual violence to take place in a certain context or among specific communities, we risk missing serious crimes taking place in our midst says Rosemary Nalubega Assistant Director, Vulnerable Communities, Organized and Emerging Crime INTERPOL.
It is estimated that only a fraction of sexual abuse investigations reach court because victims are afraid to report or change their minds during the investigation. In most cases, victims change their minds because they are ashamed of what has happened or because they are afraid of retaliation. On the other hand if police do not understand the complexities of sex crimes or have not been properly trained, if they do not operate with a victim-centric approach, this also creates a risk for a successful investigative outcome.
"Refugee centres are at heightened risk because, among other reasons, of a lack of security, limited access to basic services, and a high level of vulnerability when in a strange environment. In addition, crimes are very often not reported to the police. That is why INTERPOL has the Soteria project, which aims to identify sexual crimes and help victims”, - says R. Nalubega
In this context, it is important that police officers have the requisite knowledge of how to implement a victim-centric approach, together with full awareness of the psychology of victims and offenders,  to create an environment that is conducive for the victims to report cases of sexual violence.
Frontline and specialized officers must be trained to avoid common misconceptions related to sexual crimes, for example, the idea that sexual crimes always produce physical injuries (this is not at all the case), or that victims always immediately report sexual abuse, (this is also not the case, many victims and survivors do not report for days, weeks or even years).
An awareness of all these different elements will help officers to recognize key elements and evidence of sexual violence. 
However, it is not just the responsibility of victims to take steps. Law enforcement and aid sector authorities also need to take this issue seriously and take tangible measures to respond to such cases. Service providers, such as hospitals and Police must be equipped to deal with victims of sexual crime to avoid re-traumatization.
As INTERPOL representative  says, victims are not at fault for any sexual violence that they are subjected to. The fault lies squarely with the perpetrators of such abuse. Law enforcement and aid sector authorities also have responsibility for preventing such abuse as much as possible, and ensuring that incidences of sexual abuse are taken seriously and dealt with.
That said, raising awareness with the public and police about how perpetrators utilize grooming, and the actual tactics utilized to approach and control victims, could help to identify and avoid situations of abuse.
Many sexual offenders prepare their acts of abuse, and purposefully create situations in which the victim feels confused and guilty after the crime. Identifying these preparation steps is key to avoiding such crimes, and also to understanding, investigating and prosecuting them when they do.
 
"Some of the knowledge and skills on how to tackle sexual offences are well researched in academic circles, but they are not always passed on to the officers who deal with these crimes in practice. INTERPOL is trying to fill this gap by organising a series of training courses through the Soteria project, which aims to bring as much knowledge as possible to officers who are the first responders to reports of sexual violence. Together with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), with support from the United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), a training package has been developed and is now being rolled out in different countries," says R. Nalubega. Training has already taken place in Moldova, Poland and Lithuania, with a total of 350 officials participating.  
"Our aim is to protect the most vulnerable groups from potential sexual exploitation, including migrants and refugees. In recent years, Lithuania has been facing an increase in refugee flows, which is also due to the situation in neighbouring countries. Therefore, we do not hesitate to participate in this joint project. Officials will always benefit from international knowledge on how to respond to this type of crime, especially since it is not talked about enough," says Eitvydas Bingelis, Head of IOM Lithuania.
The number of foreigners living in Lithuania this year exceeded 200,000.