The number of crimes of a sexual nature and cases of severe psychological trauma, which the victims do not report to the law enforcement agencies, can reach several tens of thousands in Armenia, a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, teacher of the Department of Psychiatry of YSMU Aram Hovsepyan told reporters on Monday.

The expert informed that in the last four years, over 100 people who had been subjected to sexual or psychological violence turned to him for professional help. If you multiply this data by the number of specialists working in the country who provide psychological assistance (about 100 psychiatrists and 1000 psychologists), then the number of victims of the aforementioned crimes can reach tens of thousands.

Hovsepyan noted that cases of violence are recorded, including within the family.

“There were cases in Armenia when parents beat a child to death. I heard dozens of times of sexual abuse by close blood relatives. However, the overwhelming majority of acts of violence within the family are not made public,” he added.

Due to the lack of scientifically based statistics, it is difficult to judge the true extent of the spread of physical, sexual and psychological violence in Armenia. At the same time, many in the society are not inclined to regard the harsh treatment as a manifestation of violence, considering that, for example, not every sexual harassment leads to psychological trauma.

Meanwhile, people faced with violence in any form, begin to fear, and these consequences can impose a serious imprint on all subsequent life.

“We can help mitigate the consequences, but we cannot erase from the memory of the victim the memory that remains in her soul as a black spot,” Hovsepyan said.