Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre opened
A WOMAN in her 50s has bravely told how she was sexually abused by her father and his friends from when she was a toddler until she left home at 16.
She was speaking at the Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (RASASC) for North Wales which has helped her deal with the devastating trauma that’s affected her whole life.
According to the woman, now 52, her mother was present and aided and abetted the abusers.
She was among the guests at new offices of the organisation at Parc Menai in Bangor which were officially opened by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones.
The centre provides a service across all of the six counties of North Wales and last year 600 people were referred to them for support.
The woman, whose identity we are protecting, revealed that before receiving counselling she was so depressed she used to sit in a cupboard because it was the only place she felt safe.
Tackling sexual abuse is one of the five key priorities in the commissioner’s North Wales Police and Crime Plan.
Demand for the centre’s services have rocketed in recent years, particularly after the revelations about Jimmy Savile and, more recently the ones from football academies, which helped encourage more and more survivors to come forward to seek help.
Statistics show North Wales has one of the UK’s highest number of recorded rapes over the past two years – with a major increase in historic allegations and a 38 per cent overall rise.