Sexual assault victims forced to wait a year for counselling as support services struggle with ‘unprecedented demand’

‘Sexual violence and abuse support services have been described as at crisis point,’ says report

A report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual Violence said specific support services for victims face a struggle for survival due to a chronic lack of funding and rising demand (Rex)

Sexual assault victims are waiting up to 14 months for counselling because specialist support services are finding it difficult to keep up 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 due to a simultaneous lack of funding and a rise in the number of people needing help.

Figures 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 a shortfall of funding.

“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,” the report said.

It added: “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 and set minimum standards for levels of specialist sexual violence service provision across England and Wales.

It also argued there should be ring-fenced funding for sexual violence and abuse support services “so that the resources of these services are not subject to political whim and favour”.

Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham and chair of the APPG on sexual violence, said: “It should be a government priority to sort out the funding of these vital services with great urgency or it will miss its own target. The needs of survivors of sexual violence and abuse should be a priority.

“The government should be judged on how it supports vulnerable victims of the most horrible crimes – and right now they are failing.”

The Labour politician noted that “after Savile, Rotherham and MeToo” victims have been encouraged to report sexual violence but the government has failed to deliver the support services which survivors require in order to be able to rebuild their lives.

A government spokesman said: “Rape and sexual abuse are devastating crimes – no victims should be left to suffer alone.

“Funding for victim support services has nearly doubled to £96 million since 2013, including a 10 per cent increase this year for specialist sexual abuse services.

“We also recently guaranteed funding for a three-year period, offering long-term stability and encouraging more victims come forward to get the support they need.”

• If you have been affected by rape or sexual abuse, you can contact Rape Crisis on 0808 802 9999 or visit rapecrisis.org.uk

Additional reporting by wires