Rape Crisis England & Wales

The number of rapes recorded by the police has risen again. The vast majority of rapes and sexual assaults never get reported to the police so it is encouraging that more sexual violence and abuse victims and survivors are coming forward to seek support and criminal justice. The rise in reporting to the police has been paralleled by the unprecedented levels of need and demand for our specialist Rape Crisis services in recent years. There are now over 14,000 people waiting for support at a Rape Crisis centre. Long-term, sustainable funding for specialist sexual violence support and advocacy services like ours is more urgently needed than ever. [Statistics are from the Home Office and the Office for National Statistics. Read more: https://bit.ly/40k1hru]

🏃🏽♀️🌟 We're looking for a superstar supporter to take on the #LondonMarathon and raise money for our vital work! If you can commit to raising £2000, we'd love to hear from you. 📧 Get in touch: fundraising@rapecrisis.org.uk

🆕 A new national campaign, #WhenYouAreReady, has been launched to encourage victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation to reach out for support. 1 in 3 adult survivors of child sexual abuse only tell someone about what happened to them later in life. It's never too late to seek help. Read more about the campaign and watch the full film here: https://lnkd.in/ekgJwseY ℹ️ Our specialist Rape Crisis centres provide life-changing and in some cases life-saving, support to victims and survivors of child rape and sexual abuse. You can also contact our 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line for free and confidential emotional support. Get help: https://bit.ly/3YeE875

"There are no circumstances under which we will ever accept the re-traumatisation of survivors by the systems that are meant to protect them." Our CEO, Ciara Bergman, spoke to The Guardian about the changes needed in the criminal justice system. https://ow.ly/veZU50TKzqC

"If justice delayed is justice denied, then English courts are regularly denying justice." Since the release of our #BreakingPoint report, the situation in the Crown Court has got steadily worse. All the while victims and survivors are stuck in limbo, some waiting years for a trial date, unable to move on from what happened or start to heal. ℹ️ Read our recommendations for change: https://bit.ly/3BGGNiq https://ow.ly/nrN250TKu8i

❗ The court system is failing to prioritise victims and survivors of rape and other sexual offences. A new report from Victim Support details how traumatising the court process is for victims and survivors, echoing the findings in our #BreakingPoint report. Those impacted by some of the worst crimes imaginable are being left devastated by a system that's meant to bring them justice. This must not go on. Read our recommendations for change in #BreakingPoint:mhttps://bit.ly/4ePsKW6 https://lnkd.in/ePvCBaCm

📝 Today we have launched our new report 'A Real Safe Space.' An estimated 1 in 10 children and young people have experienced child rape and sexual abuse. Yet the support available to them is often non-specialist and ill-suited for the specific trauma they have experienced. In 'A Real Safe Space' we detail why Rape Crisis centres are best placed to support children and young people who have experienced child rape and sexual abuse. ℹ️ Read the report and our recommendations: https://bit.ly/3YcXcE1

🆕 We have an exciting opportunity to join our feminist organisation as Head of Membership Services. In this senior management role, you will be responsible for strategic and operational leadership of the membership team and ensuring that our 38 Rape Crisis centres have their voices heard. ℹ️ Full-time, 37 hours per week; part-time may be considered (minimum 0.8FTE) £45,688 per annum, plus 6% pension contribution For more information and to apply, visit our website: https://bit.ly/3TScMlU

We spoke to Yahoo about why it's important for parents to talk to their daughters and sons about sexual assault and how they might broach the topic. You can read the article here: https://ow.ly/x2Rx50TzegP

📣 We are thrilled to have been highly commended for Campaigning Team of the Year at the #CharityTimes Awards, in recognition of our #KeepCounsellingConfidential campaign. Alongside our sisters at Centre for Women's Justice, Rights of Women and the End Violence Against Women Coalition, we successfully campaigned to raise the legal threshold for when police can request rape survivors’ counselling notes. It's an honour to be recognised for this work, and we'd like to thank the brave survivors who entrusted us with their stories and showed so much strength in using their experiences to improve things for other survivors. View the full list of winners: https://lnkd.in/eud3H8Mx