Speaking with Dr Dvora Bauman, Director of Bat Ami, is always special. Meeting her in person, as we did recently, confirms the reason for our support. Dr Bauman exudes warmth at the same time as she very professionally explains the details of how things happen when victims of sexual assault are welcomed to the Bat Ami Center at Hadassah Ein Kerem.
Dr Bauman explains: “Bat Ami is available 24/7 with our team of physicians, nurses and social workers, diverse in their backgrounds and cultures, able and willing to respond to the calls for immediate assistance”.
The statistics are horrifying; almost every other day, a victim of sexual assault reaches out to the centre and even more disturbing, more than a third of the victims are minors. Dr Bauman adds:
“Bat Ami is the only designated acute care facility for victims of sexual assault in all of greater Jerusalem, an area serving a population of over 1.2 million people”.
Meeting Dvora Bauman and her team reinforced our desire to support their work in providing acute care to victims, supporting victims with immediate treatment and empathy. Dorit Jaffe explained:
“We sat in the office where interviews take place. We saw the private bathroom and shower facilities, and the colposcope that is used to ensure victims have access to evidence if they wish to pursue the criminal justice path”. At the same time, she noted that Dr Bauman explained the needs of the centre in its provision of immediate care and in giving back a sense of control to the survivors, emphasising that: “there is a need for augmented programs for victims, particularly children, as well as a program to combat burnout and compassion fatigue for the support team”.
Hadassah Australia is on board, thanks to our generous supporters.
L-R Dorit Jaffe, Dr Dvora Bauman, Dr Mushira Aboo Dia, Ruth Rosen
Colposcope
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