Provision of medical and psychological assistance to VoTs This section considers who provides medical and psychological assistance to VoTs once they are identified in the asylum procedure and how this assistance is financed. In addition, centres were asked whether there is a legal obligation to provide assistance to VoTs. Key findings on the provision of medical and psychological assistance to VoTs • Seventy-eight percent of countries in the report have no provision in the national legislation that places an obligation on the state to provide medical or psychological assistance to VoTs, once they are identified. • NGOs are the most common type of institution that provides medical and/or psychological assistance to VoTs (in 100 percent of the respondent countries). State institutions provide assistance in 78 percent of the countries responding to the questionnaire. NGOs fill the gap by providing assistance where the state does not. • Funding for medical and/or psychological assistance to VoTs comes mainly from the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, public grants, public health insurance or charities. However, centres in 44 percent of responding countries reported that no assistance comes from private funding (charities or foundations). QUESTION 12 Does the national legislation place an obligation on providing medical and/or psychological assistance to VoTs, once identified? General observations The majority of respondents (78 percent) indicate that there is no national legislation that places an obligation on providing medical or psychological assistance to VoTs once they have been identified. All centres indicating that there is national legislation were located in Europe. Recognising victims of torture in national asylum procedures / 43