Victims in more need of support

EVERY three days a new sexual assault victim needs help in Townsville, according to a local support service.

A petition by the Sky Foundation is requesting funding from the State Government to replace The Women’s Centre’s crumbling building and has gathered more than 15,000 signatures.

Staff at the Patrick St, Aitkenvale, centre are struggling to cope with rotting floors, mouldy walls and pest infestations as they work to support more than 10,000 women and children exposed to domestic violence and sexual assault every year.

Reportings of sexual assault have increased in Townsville since The Women’s Centre launched an immediate crisis support service for victims who presented to police or a hospital.

Senior counsellor at The Women’s Centre Di Plumb said the establishment of a Sexual Assault Response Team meant victims were now provided with “holistic” 24/ 7 support services.

“Since the Sexual Response Team has been formed, on an average every three days we are supporting a brand new victim of sexual assault in Townsville,” Ms Plumb said.

“I would say that that is the tip of the iceberg of reports of sexual assaults.”

The Sexual Assault Response Team provides immediate crisis support to a victim of sexual assault who presents to a police station, hospital or the Women’s Centre in Townsville. The team made up of detectives, specialist sexual assault support workers, hospital staff and clinical forensic medical staff operate on a 24hour, seven- day- a- week roster to provide much- needed support at any hour.

“As a result of that immediate holistic wrap- around support service we have noticed an increase in the number of people reporting sexual assault and that has continued to grow in the number of people reporting an acute experience of sexual assault,” Ms Plumb said.

“Instantly there are people there to support you, to walk beside you through the process, to provide that emotional support and to explain what your rights, choices and options are.”

She said it was difficult to establish official figures of sexual violence incidents because of the high rate of unreported sexual assaults.

“If you think of any group of people that you’re in at any time, it’s highly probable that at least one in four of those women in that group will have experienced sexual assault,” Ms Plumb.

She said it was important to note that sexual assault affected all parts of society, all ages and all demographics.

“We believe that one in four people in their lifetime will experience some form of sexual assault at least on one occasion,” Ms Plumb said.

“We know that there’s an increasing number of men who are disclosing sexual assault experiences when they’re adult males or from their childhood experiences.”