Rape crisis centres at risk of closure as convictions remain ‘woefully low’
Exclusive: Expert says funding issues mean rape victims are waiting months or sometimes even years for counselling from rape crisis centres
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Your support makes all the difference.Rape crisis centres across England are set to have their funding cut off early next year after no major political party has promised to finance them, throwing their future into doubt as convictions remain “woefully low”.
Frontline workers warn the sector is facing an “imminent crisis” due to the fact neither the government nor Labour has committed to recommissioning a key government funding stream after March next year.
Rape Crisis England and Wales told The Independent uncertainty hangs over the future of many of their 38 centres - warning impending funding struggles have already forced some workers to leave.
It comes as Office for National Statistics data shows 68,387 rapes were recorded by the police last year but charges had only been brought in three per cent of cases by the end of the year.
Amelia Handy, of Rape Crisis England and Wales, told The Independent convictions for rape cases are “woefully low” as she revealed one of their centres was forced into closing last month due to funding anxieties.
She raised fears others will also be pushed into shutting their doors unless there is a commitment to recommissioning the government’s Rape And Sexual Abuse Support Fund.
If there is no confirmation of funding, centres will have to turn their lights off and close their doors.
The process for laying off workers at centres could begin as early as this year and “dwindling resources” are causing “serious anxiety” among those in the sector, with some considering leaving or already having left, she added.
“If there is no confirmation of funding, centres will have to turn their lights off and close their doors,” Ms Handy said.
She said it is hard to pay for current worker’s salaries and recruit new staff as they can’t advertise for positions which could be defunct in nine months time.
“Funding struggles mean some survivors approach a rape crisis centre for counselling but end up on long waiting lists - waiting months or sometimes even years for support,” Ms Handy said. “If counselling services are shut down because of a lack of funding that leaves survivors forced to seek out support from non-specialist mental services that won’t meet their needs.”
She said workers in the rape crisis movement are “absolutely committed to doing anything they can to support victims and survivors” as she explained they have a deep understanding of the trauma rape inflicts – with many having experienced sexual violence themselves.
Ms Handy explained Rishi Sunak’s decision to call a snap election for 4 July had further complicated funding problems as the treasury will not commit funds to a future government.
“I am disappointed there hasn’t been a commitment to recommission the fund from any of the political parties,” she added.
The vast majority of rapes recorded by the police fall at the first hurdle and never see charges brought, let alone a perpetrator convicted. The devastating impact of this on women’s ability to access justice after rape cannot be overstated.
Ms Handy explained rape crisis centres provide specialist counselling services and therapeutic and emotional support for both victims and relatives, as well as advocating for rape victims in the criminal justice system, schools and healthcare settings.
She cited the examples of going into schools to support young teenagers who have been raped and ensuring rape victims are checked for sexually transmitted diseases in clinics.
Deniz Ugur, deputy director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said: “While we welcome some urgent improvements in charging, prosecutions and convictions in rape cases, the pace of change is too slow. The vast majority of rapes recorded by the police fall at the first hurdle and never see charges brought, let alone a perpetrator convicted.
“The devastating impact of this on women’s ability to access justice after rape cannot be overstated, given we now have incredibly high levels of victims dropping out of prosecutions – shockingly, this is currently over 60 per cent.”
It comes after The Independent recently revealed court backlogs for rape prosecutions have soared to a record high, with the number of cases doubling in two years and victims facing “devastating” waits for justice.
Data from the Ministry of Justice shows 1,379 adult rape cases were stuck in the court backlog in the last quarter of 2021 but the number surged to 2,786 in the last quarter of 2023.
A victim support charity warned that court delays mean rape victims are being made “to live indefinitely” with “uncertainty and anguish”.
The Independent has contacted spokespeople for the Conservatives, Labour and the Lib Dems.
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