With survivors waiting up to 18 months for support and therapy, and caseloads increasing, staff close lists
Rape crisis centres that provide support and counselling to victims are being forced to shut their waiting lists across the country because a lack of funding means they can no longer meet the demand.
Edinburgh Rape Crisis, one of Scotland’s largest, closed its waiting lists for adults and survivors in the criminal justice system in December when the length of wait exceeded 18 months. One in four women in the UK have been raped or sexually assaulted as an adult, according to Rape Crisis. But conviction rates remain low, with just one in every 100 cases recorded by police in 2021 ending in a conviction. In 2022,that survivors of sexual violence in England and Wales face the longest-ever wait for justice, with cases taking an average of nine months to complete.
“All caseloads are over capacity and we’ve already cut the therapy service to the bone,” she said. “We’re starting the new financial year with a significant shortfall; if we cannot raise additional funding, we will lose staff, close the list again and clients will suffer.” In Somerset and Avon, more than 1,000 people are currently waiting for support. “We haven’t closed our list but we’ve really thought about it and we’re at the point where it feels almost unethical to have a list of that length,” said CEO Claire Bloor. “We’re at pandemic levels of demand without the same uplifts in funding.
“For many victims and survivors, reaching out for help is a huge step, one taken with extreme trepidation and difficulty – to make that step and then be told you are unable to access support is devastating. It leaves survivors feeling as if they have nowhere to turn.”
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