‘Servicesdon’tmeet needs of abused’

HEALTH: Just 16 per cent of child sex abuse survivors say NHS mental health services met their needs, a review on victim’s accessing justice and support has revealed.

The report is led by Rotherham MP Sarah Champion, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse.

JUST 16 per cent of child sex abuse survivors say NHS mental health services met their needs, a comprehensive review on victims’ access to justice and support has revealed.

The report, published today, is led by Rotherham MP Sarah Champion, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse, and brings together the findings of the inquiry which spoke to nearly 400 survivors across the country to understand the issues that matter most to them.

One survivor said: “Many who try to access help through their GPs face a lottery as to which kind of help they will get.

“There is a lack of diagnosis and a failure to understand the significance of the disclosure. Many survivors are misdiagnosed with lower level issues such as anxiety and depression.”

Another victim said she had to “fight tooth and nail” to get a therapist funded by her local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

The report also reveals how survivors feel professionals don’t recognise the impact of abuse, treat them insensitively and give them incorrect information.

One victim explained how difficult it had been, over a period of decades, to obtain a psychological assessment, diagnosis and treatment that enabled her to live a stable life.

She said: “I was told ‘Thanks very much for your contribution, now just go off and get on with your life.’ There was no support, there was no intervention, there was no follow-up. I was cast adrift to get on with life. And that’s what I did for two decades”

Victims also spoke about how they feel at risk as the number of child sex abuse suspects released without pre-charge bail conditions has fallen by 56 per cent and the number of suspects released without bail conditions rose by 1,047 per cent after 2017 government reforms.

The report also reveals how one in five victims do not report abuse to police due to fear of further violence from perpetrators, while those who do report the crime have described long waits for police updates, “dehumanising” language and not being taken seriously.

Nine out of 10 survivors said the support given to them when charges are not brought against perpetrators is poor or very poor.

For those survivors whose case reaches court, seven in 10 say they are not given appropriate support when going to court as a witness.

Two out of five said they were not given the opportunity to give evidence remotely or behind a screen.

Ms Champion said: “Many survivors of abuse were badly let down by institutions that failed to protect them. The least they deserve is a government commitment to right this historical wrong by delivering the resources survivors need to rebuild their lives.

“Survivors are not asking for special treatment. They just need criminal justice agencies to recognise many survivors are traumatised and need a service that is understanding of their needs.

“The situation is urgent. If victims do not believe in the criminal justice system there is a real danger they will refuse to engage with it. In turn, abusers will go without punishment and more children are put at risk.”

The report makes a number of recommendations to the Government including making sure Whitehall funds core services to meet survivor’s mental health needs.

Many who try to access help face a lottery as to what they will get. A survivor of child sex abuse, quoted in the report by MPs.

has contacted the Ministry of Justice in response to the report’s findings and recommendations.