Don’t Women in Worcestershire Deserve Support?
Most people presume that if they were raped, there would be a rape crisis centre to support them. It is the sort of resource that you hope will be in place if you, or a loved one, ever need it. The rest of the time, the rape and sexual abuse of women and children is something you probably choose not to think about.
At least 47,000 women are raped every year in the UK. This is as many women as live in Bromsgrove, Redditch or Worcester City. Every 34 minutes a rape is reported to the Police in the United Kingdom. West Mercia Police had 215 offences reported to them in 2006. The Police estimate that fewer than 15% of rapes are reported to them. By their own estimates, this leaves a further 18,275 silent victims. The NSPCC estimates that 1 in 5 women will be sexually assaulted before their 18th birthday and that 72% of these tell no one about their abuse at the time. This is potentially 56,520 women across Worcestershire, nearly the entire female population of Wychavon.
The vast majority of our clients will never report their abuse but still need our support.
The Government has stated that “Sexual violence and childhood sexual abuse are two of the most serious and damaging crimes in our society”
Sexual violence includes: rape; sexual assault and abuse; adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse; children who are sexually abused; incest; trafficking
of women and girls for sexual exploitation; female genital mutilation (FGM) etc. The consequences of sexual abuse can be far reaching impacting upon physical and mental health, education and employment, substance misuse, self injury and suicide.
Three out of every four local authority areas have no services for victims of rape; there is no national 24 hour helpline to support women. Worcestershire Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre (WRSASC) provides a free, confidential and non-judgemental service, run by women for women who have experienced any form of rape or sexual abuse at any time. WRSASC is committed to raising awareness about the damaging effects that rape or sexual abuse can have on a woman’s life. We offer a telephone helpline, face to face counselling, effective signposting service and have recently introduced an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) to support women within the Criminal Justice System.
The Home Office estimate that the health related cost of each rape case is £73,487. For the cost of 1.5 women, WRSASC can deliver a full service to support women across Worcestershire who have suffered from any form of sexual abuse.
Isn’t it time that statutory agencies recognised the impact of sexual violence on women and funded this service properly?
Don’t women in Worcestershire deserve this support?
Please take the time to read the attached information sheet and use your influence to support us to continue to support women.
A Home Office Report - The Economic and social costs of crime against individuals and households 2003-04
For further details please contact WRSASC at WRSASC@btconnect.com