More services for male rape victims

A L E A DI NG c h i ld r e n’s charity worker has called for better services to help male rape victims in Dundee and Tayside.

Laurie Matthew, manager of 18 and Under, said she was gravely concerned that there wasn’t enough help available across the region for men who have suffered sexual abuse and rape.

Laurie was talking to the Tele as we revealed a sharp rise in the number of men reporting being raped across Tayside.

Laurie, who carried out research into the issue as part of her Phd work, said: “I became aware while doing research that there is very little information and very few places to go to find out the extent of this issue.

“We need more money spent on services to tackle this problem.

“Quite rightly there is a big focus on female rape but not nearly enough on male rape.

“Several years ago there was an organisation in Dundee called M line aimed directly at men. It folded due to lack of funding.

“The organisation had run i n Dundee for about 20 years and provided a great service. There’s not really been anything the same since.

“These new figures reveal there is a greater need than ever for this type of service to be made available. There is a great reticence among men and boys to speak out about this.

“They will talk about bullying and physical violence, but they are very reluctant to talk about sexual abuse and rape.

“We desperately need to break down these barriers and find a way to get men to talk about these issues.

“There is no doubt men are also the victims of rape and sexual abuse and we have to find a way to support these men and encourage them to talk.”

Laurie said that her research, which concluded last November, suggested young survivors unknown to child protection services need a higher level of confidential services and more information.

A freedom of information request submitted by the Tele revealed a spike in the number of men who have reported being raped across Tayside in the past six months.

Last year, four men aged 16 and above filed reports with police. Since April, that number has risen to 13.

Over the last five years, male rape has accounted for an average of 6% of all rapes in the area. Since April male rapes have increased to 14%.

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Laurie Matthew from 18 and Under. Above, how we broke the story.