The Crisis in Rape Crisis - research launch

Date: 17 March 2008

New research, The Crisis in Rape Crisis, being launched on Tuesday 18th March, has found that Rape Crisis centres are spectacularly under-funded.

The research, by the Women’s Resource Centre and Rape Crisis (England and Wales), found that Rape Crisis centres are currently facing a severe financial crisis. Nine centres have closed in the last five years, 69% of centres identified that their funding is unsustainable, and the constant and ongoing struggle to access funding is impacting heavily on centres’ ability to continue providing essential services to survivors of sexual violence.

The combined annual income of 35 Rape Crisis (England and Wales) members was just over £3.5m. In 2004-05 the Government spent twice this amount each week on advertising and public relations. Victim Support received £30m from the Government in 2005-06. The average annual income for Rape Crisis centres is £81,598 – only marginally more than the cost, to the state, of one rape.

Rape Crisis centres gave examples of statutory agencies refusing to fund them because they were women-only, or pressuring them to deliver services to men.

“Women’s organisations are not being valued or supported, despite the essential services they provide, or the money they are saving the government. This crisis in Rape Crisis is an example of how women’s organisations are being discriminated against” said Vivienne Hayes, Director of the Women’s Resource Centre.

The main focus of the Government remains firmly on challenging the unacceptably low rape conviction rate of 5.7%, which strongly indicates that survivors of sexual violence are not receiving justice in the criminal justice system. Yet securing a criminal conviction is not the only outcome that survivors of sexual violence say they want or need. What is urgently needed is ‘parallel justice’, which concentrates on both criminal and social justice. A focus on the support needs of survivors of sexual violence, alongside the need to hold the perpetrators of such crimes to account, is urgently needed.

Rape Crisis counselling, support and advocacy services are in high demand – the total number of average days on waiting lists across the country was 1,929 days - 5.3 years. This is not surprising, given how common sexual violence is, with a conservative estimate of 80,000 women experiencing rape every year in the UK, and 32% of children experiencing child sexual assault.

“Without urgent intervention, Rape Crisis centres will not be able to survive, and the needs of women survivors of sexual violence will not be met. The Government needs to prioritise the well-being of women and girls who deserve the choice of specialist, women-only services”, said Nicole Westmarland, Chair of Rape Crisis (England and Wales)

 
Notes to the editors

1. Press Launch of the Crisis in Rape Crisis: Tuesday 18th March, 4 - 4:30pm
Directory of Social Change, 24 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2DP.

2. For interviews with Rape Crisis centres, contact Lee on 07812 566 094.

3. For interviews with the Women’s Resource Centre, contact Vivienne Hayes on 020 7324 3030 or 07956 616 403.

4. The Crisis in Rape Crisis will be available to download at www.wrc.org.uk on Wednesday.

5. Thirty-five of the 38 Rape Crisis centres affiliated to the national network, Rape Crisis (England and Wales), took part in the research.

6. Rape Crisis (England and Wales)
Rape Crisis (England and Wales) was set up and registered as a charity to support the work of Rape Crisis centres in England and Wales. It provides co-ordination and support to 38 affiliated member groups and campaigns and lobbies to raise awareness of the issues of sexual violence in the wider community and with local and national government.
www.rapecrisis.org.uk

7. Women’s Resource Centre
The Women’s Resource Centre (WRC) is a charity which supports women’s organisations to be more effective and sustainable. We provide training, information, resources and one-to-one support on a range of organisational development issues. We also lobby decision makers on behalf of the women’s not-for-profit sector for improved representation and funding.

Our members work in a wide range of fields including violence against women, employment, education, rights and equality, the criminal justice system and the environment. They deliver services to and campaign on behalf of some of the most marginalised communities of women. There are over ten thousand people working or volunteering for our members who support almost half a million individuals each year.
www.wrc.org.uk