The NIMA Support and Therapy Centre has assisted 65 adults who suffered sexual abuse or exploitation in childhood, the Cyprus Family Planning Association (CFPA) said on Tuesday at a press conference marking the centre’s second year of operation. Health Minister Michalis Damianou hailed the initiative as “crucial”, noting it is implemented by the CFPA with the support and funding of the Health Ministry. He stressed that NIMA is part of a wider public policy recognising child sexual abuse as a crime with profound, long-term consequences not only for victims but for society. “The state has a duty to offer adults who lived through such experiences the right to recovery, treatment and social reintegration,” he said.
What NIMA provides
The minister outlined NIMA’s multi-layered services: evidence-based psychological support and therapy as well as social support and cooperation with other services. Care is delivered through individualised treatment plans agreed with each person, in addition to group therapy sessions.
Prevention is an equal pillar, with NIMA running information and training actions for children, adolescents, parents, teachers and frontline professionals to strengthen early identification and sound case management, and to foster a culture of respect, healthy relationships and sexual health. Damianou also underlined the value of systematic data collection: for the first time, Cyprus is building an organised knowledge base to document and understand the phenomenon and to design evidence-led prevention and intervention policies.
Initial funding has come via the State Aid de minimis scheme, but long-term sustainability requires a more institutional, permanent funding model. “Our goal is to ensure the centre’s work continues regardless of circumstances,” the minister said.
A first-of-its-kind service in Cyprus
In its statement, the CFPA described NIMA as the first and only specialised structure in Cyprus to provide free, specialist individual and group therapy to adults who experienced child sexual abuse, with additional support for family members and close friends. “The centre fills a major gap; Cyprus is among the few countries operating such a service for adults,” it noted.
Clinical psychologist and centre coordinator Pantelitsa Nikolaou said people turn to NIMA “to be able to move on with their lives, to stop the past intruding on the present”. Abuse in childhood, often perpetrated by someone within the family or social circle, shapes relationships both then and later, she explained. “Trauma disrupts safety and trust. Long-term therapy is usually needed, often beyond two years,” she said. To date, 65 people have received care; NIMA offers weekly individual therapy for up to 24 months and group therapy sessions 2-3 times per year.
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Two years on: a safe, trusted space
CFPA Executive Director Maria Epaminonda said NIMA’s two years reflect “dedication, sustained effort, hard work and creative partnership” in service of women and men who, at their most vulnerable, endured abuse or exploitation. “In this time, we have built a safe, welcoming point of reference that inspires trust and professionalism, a place where trauma can be treated and where hope and resilience have room to grow,” she said.
For information or appointments, NIMA Centre: 22757495 – Monday to Friday: 9:00 – 18:00