Sexassaultvictims’ longwaitforsupport
CRIME: Sexual assault victims are waiting up to 14 months for counselling as specialist support services struggle to cope with “unprecedented demand” says a report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Sexual Violence.
SEXUAL ASSAULT victims are waiting up to 14 months for counselling as specialist support services struggle to cope with “unprecedented demand”, MPs have warned.
A report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Sexual Violence said specific support services for victims could cease to exist completely due to lack of funding and a surge in the number of people needing help.
The report comes after it emerged in June that more than 100 survivors of the Rotherham sex abuse scandal were on waiting lists of up to six months to get access to counselling.
An investigation has so far identified 1,500 potential victims of abuse in the town. More people had approached the support service for help than had been anticipated, a report to Rotherham Council had said.
Figures in today’s report show that in 2017/18, Rape Crisis services were used by 78,461 people, an increase of 17 per cent on the previous year.
At the end of 2017/18, there were 6,355 victims on Rape Crisis waiting lists, with the wait for counselling ranging from three to 14 months. Some centres had to close their waiting lists completely due to lack of funding.
The report said: “The impacts on victims and survivors who have been subjected to sexual violence and abuse and then are unable to access specialist support cannot be overstated and must not be lost sight of.”
It went on: “While different sources of funding are guided by different processes and priorities, there is a growing consensus that the unprecedented growth in demand, coupled with the scarcity of resources, is threatening the very existence of the specialist sexual violence sector, with significant consequences for victims and survivors.”
The APPG called for evidence from specialist sexual violence services in June and held oral sessions in October. Its report found: “Sexual violence and abuse support services have been described as at crisis point.
“Need and demand for their specialist services from victims and survivors of all forms of sexual violence and abuse are at unprecedented levels and continue to rise year on year.
“Many Rape Crisis centres and other specialist providers operate waiting lists for their services and some have had to take the difficult decision to close their waiting lists.
“It can take a lot of courage to reach out for support and services describe it as ‘agonising’ and ‘soul-destroying’ to not always be able to provide this.”
MPs highlighted the use of short-term grants and contracts forcing smaller charities to divert “too much time and energy” to secure cash.
The report said: “As it stands the Government’s commitment in the 2016 Violence against Women and Girls strategy that by 2020 ‘no victim will be turned away’ will not be achieved.”
It called for “urgent action” to be taken and made recommendations “to prevent the destruction of the specialist sexual violence and abuse sector”.
These include calls to create a statutory right to specialist sexual violence and abuse support services, set minimum standards for levels of service provision across England and Wales and ring-fence funding for services “so that the resources of these services are not subject to political whim and favour”.
It urges local services to write a “victim’s promise” document setting out the needs of survivors and availability of services. It also recommends contracts with providers run for at least three years.
Support services have been described as at crisis point. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual Violence.