Options and resources for community members in Qatar

How can Northwestern help?

Knowing what options and resources are available will be helpful if you or someone you know experiences sexual misconduct. Persons who may have experienced sexual misconduct have options:

Seek Medical Attention
Speak with On-Campus Confidential Resources
Access Off-Campus Resources
Contact the Police
Contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance
Request Supportive Measures
Preserve Evidence

More detailed information about each of these options is provided below.

1. Seek Medical Attention

In Qatar, if a survivor goes to the hospital, they may not retain sole discretion over whether to pursue criminal charges. Medical personnel at hospitals are required to alert the police when it appears that the person seeking treatment has sustained an injury as a result of a criminal offense, including sexual assault. The person seeking treatment then could be required to speak with the police. Survivors should visit a hospital or doctor with whom they feel comfortable. Survivors can talk to the NU-Q Chief Operations Officer for more information. If the survivor chooses not to go to the emergency room, they should still consider seeing a private doctor or a clinician. Survivors are encouraged to inquire about and understand the extent of confidentiality healthcare providers can provide to the survivor of sexual violence. The confidentiality laws and regulations may differ substantially from those in other countries. Emergency contraception is not available in Qatar. Rape evidence collection may not be available in Qatar. Individuals who have been sexually assaulted may choose to go to the emergency room.

The nearest hospitals to the Northwestern University in Qatar campus are:

Al-Ahli Hospital (6km from Education City)
Ahmed Bin Ali Street Emergency
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
+974 4489 8901, +974 4489 8999, +974 4489 3349

Sidra Medicine (1km from Education City) Women and children only
Dukhan Road opposite Northwestern University in Qatar
Outpatient: Sunday-Thursday, 7:00 am – 4:00 pm
+974 4003 3333 09.01.2019 34

There is also medical care available at the following location on campus:

Qatar Foundation Primary Healthcare Center (QF PHCC)
HBKU Student Center
+974 4454 1244 (call to inquire about hours of operation)

2. Speak with On-Campus Confidential Resources

These campus resources keep communications confidential except in very limited situations (e.g. minors, imminent danger).

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
(provides confidential short term counseling services to employees via telephone)
Visit http://www.livewell.optum.com and click on ‘My Services’ for more information or call:
+974 4454 5293 or +44 1865 397 074 (UK direct number)

Students have the following confidential resource available:

Free, short-term and confidential counseling services for students:
NU-Q Counseling, Health and Wellness
NU-Q 1-320 +974 4454 5073 or patricia.collins@northwestern.edu

Counseling, Health and Wellness is available as a free confidential counseling option available to Northwestern University in Qatar students who have experienced sexual assault, dating or domestic violence, or any other type of sexual violence. Counseling, Health and Wellness will honor the privacy of your information. If the individual wants to notify the police, Counseling, Health and Wellness staff can be a resource. Regardless of whether the survivor wants to involve police, s/he may benefit from talking to a professional counselor.

Counselors listen and help survivors work through any anger, pain, sadness, relationship issues or coping mechanisms that may be related to sexual misconduct. Sometimes the effects are felt long after an incident occurred. It is never too late to seek counseling, even months or years later.

If you would like to learn more about counseling and other options available to survivors, you can talk to Counseling, Health and Wellness staff member confidentially.

3. Access Off-Campus Resources

Regardless of whether an individual wants to officially report sexual misconduct, they may explore independent counseling options.

Private Hospitals with physical and mental health resources available
Al Ahli Hospital +974 4489 8888 / +974 4489 8817
Doha Clinic Hospital +974 4438 4333
American Hospital +974 4442 1999
Al Emadi Hospital +974 4466 6009
Social Protection and Rehabilitation +974 4409 0999 Hotline:108
(Counseling, psychological and shelter services for women and children)

Government Hospitals and Centers with physical and mental health resources available
Hamad General Hospital +974 4439 4444
Al Khor Hospital +974 4474 5555
HMC Customer Service Center 16060 (Sun-Thurs 7am-10pm; Fri 2pm-10pm; Sat 10am-6pm) -Nesma’ak Wifaq/Family Consulting Center +974 4406 9902 (mental health resources only)

Students may also wish to investigate private service providers of their choice, but are encouraged to inquire about and understand the extent of confidentiality they can provide to the survivor of sexual violence. The confidentiality laws and regulations may differ substantially from the protection laws in their home country.

4. Contact the Police

Survivors are encouraged to talk to the NU-Q Chief Operations Officer for more information on what may happen if they file a police report. Generally, once a sexual assault is reported to the police, physical evidence of a struggle is collected and then the case is referred to the prosecutor, who then determines if a crime took place. The amount of physical evidence which shows a struggle will usually decide the case. If physical evidence is inconclusive, the case would be dismissed, and the survivor might either be asked to sign a statement or be jailed.

In an emergency dial +974 4454 0999 (on campus) or 999 (off campus)

Police Reports and Respecting the Survivor’s Decisions
There is no right or wrong way for a survivor to proceed. The decision to report an assault to the police is a personal one. You should help a student or colleague make a police report if they want your help, but if they don’t want to, you should also respect that decision. Publicity, concerns over revictimization, historical poor treatment at the hands of the police, or fear of being jailed are examples of reasons a survivor might not want to involve the police.

5. Contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance

Whether or not the individual makes a police report, they can contact and make a report to the University. An individual has the right to choose whether to report the incident to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance for additional options and support and/or to request an investigation. The University will protect the identity of persons involved in reports of sexual misconduct to the best of its ability. The University will only share personally identifiable information with persons with a need-to-know in order for the University to investigate and respond or to deliver resources or support services.

To report sexual misconduct to Northwestern, contact:

Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance Contact:
Emily Babb, Title IX Coordinator
Email: emily.babb@northwestern.edu

Qatar Campus Contact:
Pim Thukral, Chief Operations Officer
Location: NU-Q 3-336 Phone: +974 4454 5008
Email: pim.thukral@northwestern.edu

Under Northwestern policy, all University employees (including student employees), as well as graduate students with teaching or supervisory authority, are obligated to promptly report sexual misconduct of which they become aware in the scope of their work for the University to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. The Confidential Resources listed above are not subject to this reporting requirement.

6. Support Services

Support services are individualized measures offered as appropriate to either or both the reporting and responding parties involved in an incident of sexual misconduct, prior to an investigation or while an investigation is pending. Support services include counseling, extensions of time or other course-related adjustments, modifications of work or class schedules, campus escort services, restrictions on contact between the parties, changes in work or housing locations, leaves of absence, increased security and monitoring of certain areas of campus, and other similar accommodations. Support services will be individualized and appropriate based on the information gathered by the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, making every effort to avoid depriving any student of their education. The measures needed by each party may change over time, and the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance will communicate with parties throughout an investigation to ensure that any interim measures are necessary and effective based on the parties’ evolving needs.
As noted above, an individual may request to receive support – including the measures mentioned in this section – even if they do not choose to participate in the University’s Complaint Resolution Process.

7. Preserve Evidence

Northwestern encourages individuals who have experienced sexual misconduct to preserve evidence to the greatest extent possible as this may preserve more options for them in the future. Below are suggestions for preserving evidence related to an incident of sexual misconduct. Outside of Qatar, a forensic rape exam is a consideration for many survivors of sexual violence. Within the State of Qatar, it is a possible consideration for survivors of sexual violence. In the State of Qatar, forensic evidence for a conviction of rape may require that there was resistance, i.e. skin of the perpetrator under the fingernails, bruises. If there is no evidence of a struggle, then an incident may not be classified as rape under Qatar law and the survivor may be accused of sex outside of marriage, which is illegal in the State of Qatar.

It is important to keep in mind that each suggestion may not apply in every incident:
 Preserve evidence of electronic communications like text messages, pictures, and/or social networking pages by saving them and/or taking screen shots.
 If there is a suspicion that a drink may have been drugged, inform a medical assistance provider and/or police as soon as possible so they can collect evidence (e.g. from the drink, through urine or blood sample).
 Because evidence that may be located on the body can dissipate quickly, consider going to a hospital or medical facility immediately to seek a medical exam. If possible, do not shower, brush teeth, or eat before going to the hospital or seeking medical attention, and do not wash clothes or bedding.