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Specialist sexual violence services save lives

“The helpline saved my life on several occasions after I was raped. The first person I told was a helpline worker.”

The recently published Independent Strategic Review of Funding and Commissioning of VAWG Services in Scotland made a number of positive recommendations for how services designed to target violence against women and girls are funded and delivered, including making the right to access these services a statutory one.

There are, however, several proposals which are causing significant concern for Rape Crisis Scotland, many of our member centres, and survivors of sexual violence.

The review recommends a move to localised funding for centres. Many of our centres have grave concerns about what this might mean for their funding and the services they are able to provide. Prior to the Scottish Government providing national funding, funding at a local level was poor, patchy and inconsistent. Our centre in Aberdeen received only £5,000 a year. While there remain considerable issues with lack of adequate funding for Rape Crisis services, we are very worried that under the model being proposed, we could see funding for services moving backwards.

One of the most shocking recommendations, which we had no idea was being considered by the review, is to move away from Scotland having a specialist national helpline for survivors of sexual violence, and to move instead to a generic violence against women helpline. Survivors of sexual violence need specialist services; needs that are too often overlooked in more generic services. Survivors who have accessed the helpline often tell us just how lifesaving and crucial it has been for them.

The helpline is staffed by support workers and volunteers who are highly trained to provide specialist support to anybody who calls. The helpline is a crucial part of the Rape Crisis movement and network.

Miss M said “The helpline saved my life on several occasions after I was raped. The first person I told was a helpline worker. I was ashamed & degraded and confused why I didn’t fight back. The helpline listened and explained about the trauma response to rape.

“The RCS helpline supported me before I told my family, friends or University. There was no judgement from the helpline and they would listen to my worries - I was scared about telling those I loved that I had been raped. They encouraged me to get support & because of them I did.”

Miss C said, “Sometimes calling that helpline is the first acknowledgment that what happened was rape. The way in which that is handled needs to be done so very delicately. I used the support email (Ask Annie) service with Rape Crisis Scotland and my emails were used as evidence in the case.

“I also really struggled to say the word “rape” so having the specialist service at Rape Crisis Scotland helped me come to terms with it. Even though there were 9 domestic abuse charges, rape was the one that I personally needed the most help with.”

The Rape Crisis Scotland helpline provides support for anybody affected by sexual violence, no matter their gender. Losing this specialist support would leave male and non-binary survivors with very few places to turn to.

Councillor Finlay McFarlane said: “I am extremely concerned with the recommendation to create a single VAWG helpline which would replace one of the very few specialist services that currently support male survivors like me.”

For survivors across Scotland to be able to access high quality, specialist support, free of charge, it is crucial that our helpline continues.

We have very real concerns that the recommendations made in this funding review will be a step backwards for the Rape Crisis movement in Scotland.

As Miss M said, “A specialised RCS helpline is vital and even more so when the Scottish justice system is failing rape victims. It is astonishing that at a time of such high demand that the Scottish Government are comprehending a move away from this specialised Rape Crisis helpline.”