Sex abuse victims face waiting lists to get help

Victims of rape are waiting up to three months for counselling as demand soars.

Around 50 victims have been placed on a waiting list for Rape crisis Glasgow due to l arge support worker caseloads.

in the last year the charity has received has received 11,351 calls, texts and emails from victims of sexual crime – a 100 per cent rise on previous years.

these figures do not include the number of ‘silent calls’ from victims too scared to speak.

it says drop-in sessions are now so busy, workers often do not have the chance to speak to everyone. staff and volunteers have provided face-to-face support to 866 women in the last year.

the charity, which helps women and children from the age of 13,

‘We don’t have the resources’

claims it needs £50,000 to support rape and sexual assault victims.

isabelle Kerr, who has been in charge of the centre for ten years said she could never have predicted the sharp rise in demand.

she said: ‘sadly, at the moment, we don’t have the resources to meet the very high demand.

‘We need more people and we need more space.

‘We have 50 women and family members waiting for support at the moment and, given the huge caseloads our workers are carrying, they could be waiting for up to three months.’

miss Kerr cited high- profile cases such as Jimmy savile as a factor in more women coming forward for help. she added that while the number of violent crimes in scotland are decreasing, there has been an increase in sexual offence being reported.

to mark its 40th anniversary and help meet demand, Rape crisis Glasgow has launched a £40 for 40 years campaign to encourage people to donate the equivalent of two hours of counselling.