News: June 2008

News Release

18/6/2008

Reform of law on rape & sexual offences

 

Today sees the publication of a much awaited and needed bill to reform the law on rape & sexual offences in Scotland.

Rape Crisis Scotland welcomes much that is in the bill, with one significant and serious exception.  The bill, if passed, will introduce into law the concept of “prior consent” to sex.  The bill sets out that consent will be considered to be absent when a person is sleeping, incapable through alcohol or unconscious as long as prior consent hadn’t been given to having sex in these circumstances.

Rape Crisis Scotland spokeswoman Sandy Brindley commented:

“We are extremely concerned about these provisions.  At the moment, the Crown has to prove that someone is asleep or unconscious at the time of the alleged rape.  If these provisions become law, there is a strong possibility that they will also have to prove that the complainer didn’t previously give consent to having sex in these circumstances.  The notion that someone can give advance consent to sex at 6pm and that this consent should still apply at 1am when they are incapable of giving meaningful consent is absurd.  It completely contradicts the notions of sexual autonomy which are supposed to underpin this bill:  that a woman – or man - can say ‘no’, or withdraw their consent to sex, at any time.”  

“We also have to ask ourselves what kind of man would want to ‘have sex’ with a woman who is unconscious.”

“Figures released last week by the Scottish Government show that the number of convictions for rape has fallen to a record low.  Only 2.9% of reported rapes lead to a conviction.  Although Rape Crisis Scotland has fully supported this programme of law reform, we have always been realistic about its limited potential to significantly improve conviction rates for rape.  We now have grave concerns that not only will the bill fail to lead to a significant improvement in conviction rates; it might actually make it easier for men to get away with rape.”

The last time that the notion of prior consent was enshrined in Scottish law was in relation to rape in marriage, which was criminalised as recently as 1989. Until then, marriage was seen as a ‘contract’ which gave husbands permanent consent to sex with their wives, i.e. women had no right to withhold consent.    Although it was clearly not the intention of the Scottish Law Commission to re-introduce this, Rape Crisis Scotland believes that this legislation – by considering that women can give advance consent to sex – has the potential to take us back 20 years.

Notes to journalists
The provisions relating to prior/advance consent can be found in Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Bill, section 10 2 (a) & (b)

For further information / comment contact:
Sandy Brindley / Eileen Maitland on 0141 331 4180

Number of rape convictions fall to record low 

New figures released by the Scottish Government shows that the number of convictions for rape has fallen to a record low of 27 in 2006/2007.  In the same year 922 rapes were reported to the police.  This suggests that the conviction rate for rape has dropped to under 3% for the first time, with only 2.9% of rapes reported to the police leading to a conviction.  Just 7% of reported rapes led to a prosecution, with the vast majority of cases not reaching court.  A breakdown of these figures is given below: 

Year	Rapes reported to police	Cases prosecuted	Convictions for rape	% reported rapes leading to conviction
2006/07	922	65	27	2.9%
2005/06	975	88	38	3.9%

 
Important work is already underway which attempts to improve legal responses to rape.  Implementation of the recommendations from the Crown Office review of the investigation and prosecution of rape and other sexual offences, including the recently introduced training course for prosecution staff on sexual offences, has an important role to play.  The imminent bill reforming the law on sexual offences is also important.  If conviction rates for rape are truly to be improved, however, Rape Crisis Scotland strongly believes that there needs to be a fundamental shift in attitudes which blame women for sexual violence.

News: May 2008

SEMINAR: SEXUAL HISTORY AND CHARACTER EVIDENCE –

Applications under section 275 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995

2007 saw the publication of an evaluation report on the impact of the 2002 legislative reforms in the area of sexual history and character evidence. It also saw the Crown Office issuance of revised guidance for handling s.275 applications to prosecutors.

This seminar will provide participants with an understanding of the current legal and practical issues surrounding the making of a section 275 application to submit sexual history and character evidence or questioning in sexual offence trials. Speakers have been selected to:

• Present a judicial view point on the application of the test set out in section 275 - Right Hon Lord MacKay of Drumadoon (High Court Judge)
  
  
• Present the findings of the evaluation report on the impact of the 2002 legislative reforms relating to sexual history and character evidence - Professor Michele Burman (University of Glasgow)
  
  
• Present the role of the Prosecutor in relation to s 275 applications - Andrew MacIntyre (Head of Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Victim Policy)

Wednesday, 28th May 2008

17.00 to 19.30 (Registration at 16.30): 2.5 Hours CPD

Venue: Court 7, Glasgow Sheriff Court, 1 Carlton Place, Glasgow

Cost: LSA - 10% DISCOUNT PRICE LIST
£67.50 full price/£58.50 LSA members/£45 concessionary cost/FREE to students (normal cost £75/£65/£50)

Please direct all enquiries regarding seminars to:
Susan Clark, Seminar Manager
Legal Services Agency Ltd., 3rd Floor, Fleming House, 134 Renfrew Street, Glasgow G3 6ST, DX GW12
Tel: 0141 354 1274   Fax: 0141 353 0354   Email: seminars@lsa.org.uk   Website:  www.lsa.org.uk

News: April 2008

Scottish Government resource for survivors

The Scottish Government has published a new resource for women and men (over 16) who have been raped or sexually assaulted.

You can see/download this at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/04/16112631/0

New research on men who use women in prostitution
The Women's Support Project has published groundbreaking new research on the attitudes of men who use women in prostitution.

The research team carried out detailed interviews with 110 men between the ages of 18 and 77 who had paid for sex.

One in 10 said they would go as far as committing rape if they were not caught.

Click here to download a copy of the full report

New Support Group in Glasgow

From May 2008 Glasgow Rape Crisis Centre will be running a new support group in Glasgow for women survivors of rape, sexual assault or childhood sexual abuse.  If you would like more information about this group, please phone our telephone helpline on 0141 552 3200.

If you are a woman looking for one to one support, you can call our helpline for more information about our services and our opening hours.

News: March 2008
Rape Crisis Scotland Full Consultation Response on Draft Sexual Offences Bill

Scottish Law Commission Review
Following publication of the Scottish Law Commission's report and Draft Bill on Sexual Offences in December 2007, the Scottish Government held a public consultation on these proposals for reform to the law on rape and sexual assault.
You can see this at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/criminal/17543/Scottishgovtconsultation .

The deadline for responses to the Scottish Government consultation was 14th March.

You can see/download the full Rape Crisis Scotland response here.

If you have any queries, please email info@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk.

News: February 2008

Rape Crisis Scotland Conference - Tuesday 4th March 2008
Rape Crisis Scotland will be holding a conference in Glasgow on 4th March 2008.

Entitled "Legal responses to Rape: Redressing the Balance", the conference will examine the new draft legislation around rape and sexual assault, as well as related subjects such as prosecuting rape, sexual history and character evidence, and independent legal representation for rape complainers.

Speakers will include the Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill and Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini.

Click here to download the full programme and booking form in pdf format.
The booking form is also available here in Word format.

News: January 2008

New issue of Rape Crisis News
Issue 7 Rape Crisis News is now available and can be downloaded here.
This issue looks specifically at the importance of political commitment to rape crisis services.
If you would like to receive a hard copy of this issue, please email info@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk

Volunteer Support Workers Required

Rape Crisis Scotland is looking to recruit new  female volunteer support workers for the national helpline which provides initial and crisis support, information and signposting to services for survivors of sexual violence daily from 6pm to midnight.

A full internal training programme will be offered from 15th of March to 4th of June 2008.

Interested?

Come and find out more at our Information Evening on Wednesday the 20th of February 2008 , 6.30-8.00pm

To book a place contact Sandie Kemp on 0141 331 4185
Or email sandie.kemp@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk

Rape Crisis Scotland, 1st Floor, Tara House, 46 Bath St, Glasgow, G2 1HG
Closing Date for applications: 27th February 2008

Only women need apply under section 7 (iii) (d) & (e) of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. We are an equal opportunities employer and are particularly keen to hear from groups underrepresented in the labour market
The selection process will include seeking enhanced disclosure information.

Rape Crisis Scotland on Facebook

Rape Crisis Scotland now has a group on Facebook.
You can see/join this at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=9197531135

News: December 2007

Scottish Law Commission publishes recommendations on law reform & draft Bill

Rape Crisis Scotland welcomes the Scottish Law Commission’s carefully considered recommendations for reform of the law on rape and sexual offences in Scotland, which are published today (19th December). See http://www.scotlawcom.gov.uk/html/reports.html#r209 for the full text of their report and draft Bill. Particularly welcome are the broadening of the definition of rape, and a definition for the first time of consent. Today’s publication of the Commission's final report and draft Bill marks the beginning of a period of public consultation which will run until March 14, 2008. Rape Crisis Scotland will produce and circulate a briefing paper on the proposed changes to the law during this period.

While we are glad to see legal reform in this area, it is vital that such changes are accompanied by a significant change in public attitudes, in order to effect real improvements in the prospects of survivors seeking justice.

The Scottish Government has also produced a consultation document on the reform of the law on rape and sexual offences. You can see this at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/criminal/17543/Scottishgovtconsultation .

Women's Support Project Resource List on Commercial Sexual Exploitation

This new document provides a comprehensive list of resources in various formats that deal with different aspects of Commercial Sexual exploitation. Download it here.

New survey on attitudes to rape
Rape Crisis Scotland recently commissioned a new survey* on public attitudes to women and rape. The results of this show that 40% of people hold women responsible for rape if they put themselves in "risky" situations such as willingly going home with a man.

The findings were highlighted in an article in the Sunday Herald on 09/12/07 - see:
http://www.sundayherald.com/search/display.var.1891522.0.revealed_40_of_people_say_women_to_blame_for_rape.php

Here are the results in more detail:


*This survey was conducted as part of the testing process for a new public awareness campaign on rape that Rape Crisis Scotland hopes to run in 2008 - watch this space for more news as the campaign develops!

A new Rape Crisis Scotland Annual Report, covering the period January 2006-April 2007 has just been published.

News: November 2007

A Better Future for Scotland’s Children: Ending Violence Against Women

 The Scottish Parliament will be today (22/11/07) holding their annual debate on violence against women, with a focus on the impact of violence on children and young people.  The debate comes shortly after the Scottish Government’s publication of their budget, and confirmation that funding allocated to work on violence against women under the previous administration will be continued and slightly expanded.  This is very welcome news, as services in Scotland for women and children experiencing violence have developed significantly in the past decade, and funding must be continued if we are to work towards our aim of being able to provide support at the point of need for any woman in Scotland experiencing violence.

 Rape Crisis Scotland welcomes the continued commitment from the Scottish Government to address violence against women.  However, we are concerned that some of the funding previously ring-fenced for work on this issue will no longer be required to be spent specifically on violence against women.  This is particularly concerning given that there are no indicators or outcomes on violence against women which local authorities have to report on.  If Scotland is to continue to make progress in combating this issue, there must be a consistent approach across the country to the funding of services.

 News: October 2007

New legislation to challenge demand for prostitution welcomed by violence against women organisations. (Prostitution (Public Places) (Scotland) Act 2007)

We very much welcome the introduction of this new legislation, which will criminalise soliciting and loitering ‘for the purpose of obtaining the services of someone engaged in prostitution’.   For far too long prostitution has been regarded as somehow inevitable – and this is an important first step in challenging the driving force behind prostitution, which is the demand from men to buy sex.  By agreeing this legislation the Scottish Government is sending out a clear message that sexual exploitation of women through prostitution will no longer be tolerated on our streets.  We congratulate the Scottish Government on this stance and hope that they will continue to work to challenge commercial sexual exploitation.

There is a range of evidence to show that the vast majority of women, and men, who become involved in prostitution do so because they are poor, homeless, isolated and have already experienced neglect, abuse and violence. It is important to remember that these women and men will continue to be criminalised for soliciting, and that increased resources are needed both for prevention work, and for support work.

Women who have been involved in prostitution tell us that, whilst involved, you cannot afford to think about the future – you need to survive moment by moment.  Given this, we shouldn’t be surprised if all those currently involved don’t immediately welcome the new legislation.  It is vital that adequate resources are provided, both to inform people on the aims of the legislation, and to provide effective support to those who wish to reduce or end their involvement in prostitution.

For more information contact The Women's Support Project on 0141 552 2221 or Rape Crisis Scotland on 0141 331 4180

Launch of Rape Crisis Scotland National Helpline

The launch of the new Rape Crisis Scotland National Helpline took place on Thursday 11th October.

The National Helpline is for anyone affected by sexual violence, no matter when or how it happened. It is open from 6pm to midnight, 7 days a week, offers free and confidential initial and crisis support and information. The helpline can also put people in touch with local rape crisis centres or other services for ongoing support. The helpline offers a minicom service for Deaf or hard of hearing people, and can arrange for language interpreters for callers whose first language is not English.

The freephone National Helpline number (voice and minicom) is:

Reclaim the Night March - Glasgow - Thursday 29th November 2007 As part of the 16 days of action to eliminate violence against women, Glasgow Rape Crisis Centre has organised a Reclaim the Night march on Thursday 29th November. The event will start at 6.15 pm at University Gardens, just off Byres Road, and there will be a rally at the STUC from 7pm. The event will also feature food, speeches, stalls and music.

Reclaim the Night March • Edinburgh • Thursday 11th October 2007

News:September 2007

Research reveals that the law fails to protect women from questioning about sexual history and character

Research published by the Scottish Government on 12/9/07 reveals a worrying increase in the level of questioning on sexual history and character which complainers of rape and sexual offences have to face in court.

The Sexual Offences (Procedure and Evidence) (Scotland ) Act 2002 attempted to tighten restrictions relating to the use of this type of evidence.  A key aim of this Act was to “ensure that questioning or evidence introduced is relevant to the issues of fact before the court, rather than calculated to demean or humiliate the complainer”.  The provisions of the Act required written applications to be made to introduce sexual history and character evidence, in advance of the trial.  In coming to a decision on whether or not the evidence should be admitted, the judge or sheriff should only admit the evidence if he or she is satisfied that it is relevant to whether the accused is guilty of the offence, and the probative value of the evidence is significant and is likely to outweigh any risk of prejudice to the proper administration of justice.  Judges and sheriffs were required to consider appropriate protection of the complainer’s dignity and privacy.

The research found that applications to introduce this type of evidence in 72% of cases. Only 7% of applications were rejected.  In most cases, the Crown did not object to defence applications.

You can download the full text of the research document (entitled "Impact of Aspects of the Law of Evidence in Sexual Offence Trials : an Evaluation Study") here.  

Questioning women were subjected to included highly personal questions about sexual conduct with people other than the accused, sexual practices, sex aids and drug use. 

Rape Crisis Scotland is gravely concerned about the findings of the research, and will be working to ensure that the upcoming reform of the law on rape addresses issues relating to sexual history.

Scottish government commits to reform the law on rape

On Wednesday 5th September 2007, the First Minister gave a commitment to prioritise reform of the law on rape, following on from the Scottish Law Commission's review. In his speech, (“Principles and Priorities: Programme for Government” – see http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/This-Week/Speeches/principles-priorities/ ), Mr Salmond says:

“In the area of criminal law, we'll introduce our Rape and Sexual Offences Bill - to reform the law on rape and sexual offences in light of the Scottish Law Commission's review.

Presiding Officer, if any member was ever in doubt about the need for action in this area, the figures published yesterday will have made the position clear.

At the same time as a 10% rise in sexual assaults, clear up rates for rape and indecent assault fell to 67% and 59% respectively.

Part of that is due to a lack of confidence from victims that the legal process will secure a conviction and it is therefore right that this Government and this Parliament acts.”

In response to questioning from Margaret Curran MSP, the First Minister also confirmed that he would match the previous administration’s record £3m funding for rape crisis services in Scotland.  Mr Salmond further confirmed that he would reform the law in Scotland relating to the admission of sexual history evidence.

New statistics

New figures released by the Scottish Government reveal the following differences in the number of reported rapes, attempted rapes and other “crimes of indecency” over the past year. The figures are as follows:

Crime	2005/6	2006/7	%change
Rape	975	922	-5%
Assault with intent to rape	186	201	+8%
Indecent assault	1508	1664	+10%
Lewd & libidinous practices	1835	1738	-5%
Indecent exposure	816	817	0

Other figures also show that clear-up rates for rape & attempted rape fell by 7%, and indecent assault by 5% - these are the figures:

Crime	2005/6	2006/7	%change
Rape & attempted rape	72	67	-7%
Indecent assault	62	59	-5%
Lewd & indecent behaviour	76	77	+1.3%
Other	90	89	+1%

News: August 2007

A survey of 992 Scots carried out by TNS System Three in January 2007 for the Scottish Executive found that:

• 27% think  a woman can be at least partly responsible if she is drunk at the time of the attack
• 26%  thought that a woman bore some responsibility if she wore revealing clothing
• 32% say there should be some burden of responsibility for rape if the women is flirting
• 18% think rape can be the woman's fault if she is known to have had many sexual partners
  

[Source: Findings from the Wave 10 post-campaign evaluation of the Domestic Abuse Campaign 2006/07 - see http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/08/01142941/0 ]

You can download an extract of the section relating to attitudes to rape here

White Ribbon Scotland has set up a great new blog at http://whiteribbonscotland.wordpress.com The blog includes an extensive list of related resources, including many feminist resources and websites, as well as news from other White Ribbon initiatives both in the UK and abroad. It also includes news on forthcoming events and links to articles of interest to everyone engaged in the fight to end violence against women.

News: May 2007

WE ARE ON THE MOVE!

Rape Crisis Scotland is in the process of setting up a national rape crisis helpline, and we are moving to bigger premises to accommodate this exciting new development.

Our office at 93 Hope Street is now closed and we will re-open at our new premises on Monday 14th May 2007. Our new contact details are as follows:

First floor, Tara House, 46 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 1HG

Telephone no.: 0141 331 4180
Email: info@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk

News: April 2007

RAPE CONVICTION RATE FALLS TO RECORD LOW

The conviction rate for rape in Scotland has dropped to a record low of 3.9%.  This is the first time the proportion of rapes recorded by the police leading to a conviction has been under 4%. 

The figures are as follows: 

2005/2006

* crimes of rape recorded by the police:      975
* persons proceeded against for rape:        88
* convictions:                                            38

(source:  Scottish Executive, April 07)  

Please click here to download a breakdown of these figures by geographical area.

News: March 2007

ASDA T-SHIRT INCITEMENT TO RAPE - PROTEST!

Asda are currently selling a t-shirt depicting 2 women sitting back to back like the Kappa logo. Round them is the slogan, “if at first you don’t succeed, buy her another drink and try again”. We deplore the contempt for women and incitement to rape this encourages and have written to Asda demanding the removal of this item.

Anyone wishing to complain about this can call 0113 2435435 or write to Asda,  ASDA House,  Southbank, Great Wilson Street ,  Leeds  LS11 5AD  

You can see a copy of our letter here.                                                             

SEXUAL OBJECTIFICATION HARMFUL TO WOMEN AND GIRLS: NEW RESEARCH

New research carried out by the American Psychological Association shows that the use of sexualised images of women and girls has very harmful impact on their self-esteem and hampers healthy development. Click here to access the Report and Executive Summary.

You can also read an interesting article in Science Daily here about this research.

The BBC News website also covered this story.

WOMEN'S SUPPORT PROJECT EVENT

The Women's Support Project has organised a Violence Against Women Screening and Panel Discussion. This will take place at the Glasgow Film Theatre on Thursday 29th March 2007 in Cinema 2 between 6pm & 8pm. There is no charge for this event.

Please click here for further information and an application for tickets.

FORTHCOMING CONFERENCE: UNDERSTANDING RAPE & SEXUAL VIOLENCE

The University of Paisley's School of Health, Nursing and Midwifery is hosting a one-day conference in June on Understanding Rape and Sexual Abuse.

Please click here to download a programme and application form for this event.

News: January 2007

GLASGOW RAPE CRISIS CONFERENCE

Glasgow Rape Crisis will be hosting a one-day conference : “Society’s Misconceptions about Sexual Violence and its Impact on Justice for Women” . This will take place on Tuesday 13th March at Glasgow City Chambers, George Square, Glasgow G1 1DU. Speakers include Dr Karen Boyle (Lecturer in Media Studies, Glasgow University), Dr Vanessa Munro (King’s College, London) and Denice Labertew (Peace Over Violence – formerly the Los Angeles Commission Against Assaults Against Women). A full programme will be available shortly.

News: November 2006

WHITE RIBBON CAMPAIGN IN SCOTLAND

The White Ribbon Campaign, an international initiative to involve men in taking more responsibility for reducing the level of violence against women, has been launched in Scotland by Amnesty International and the Men's Health Forum Scotland.

Wearing a white ribbon signifies a commitment to never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women. Their new website can be seen at www.whiteribbonscotland.org.uk.

As part of the 16 Days of Action to eliminate violence against women, White Ribbon activists at Caledonian University in Glasgow will be holding a stall in the Saltire Centre (library and social space at the heart of the campus at GCU on Friday 24th November, the day before the 16 days of action officially starts. The stall will remain in place until Thursday 30th November.

If you would like more information about this event, or the White Ribbon Campaign, please email iainjwallace@hotmail.com or ltenne10@caledonian.ac.uk. Please come along and support the campaign if you can!

News: October 2006

RAPE CRISIS NEWS : ISSUE 6

The Autumn 2006 issue of Rape Crisis News is now available.
Issue 6 is an International Issue, and includes 12 articles from 11 different countries worldwide.

Any comments, suggestions or contributions for future editions are welcome at any time and should be sent to eileen.maitland@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk.

SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN SCOTLAND : NEW LEAFLET

Rape Crisis Scotland has just produced a new leaflet about Sexual Violence in Scotland. The leaflet looks at the many forms of sexual violence, the effects on those who are subjected to sexual violence, and it addresses some of the many myths surrounding this subject. You can download a copy of the leaflet here. If you would to receive a hard copy of the leaflet, please email eileen.maitland@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk.

News: September 2006

ATTITUDES TO RAPE - ONLINE SURVEY - APPEAL FOR PARTICIPANTS

I am writing to ask for your assistance with a research project which I am carrying out with Professor Barbara Krahé from the University of Potsdam, Germany, funded by the German Science Foundation; in co-operation with Sussex University, Law department.

We are studying attitudes about rape and their impact on judgements about defendants and complainants. In particular, we are concerned with the views of members of the general public potentially eligible for jury service who may be put in a position to decide about rape complaints in court - which would apply to every UK citizen above 18.

To address our research questions, we have developed an online questionnaire to measure views about rape and judgements about a number of hypothetical rape cases.

We have done a similar study in Germany already, and would like to compare results with answers of people from the UK since our law systems differ to some extent (e.g. there is a jury system in the UK, while in Germany there is not).

To reach a large and diverse number of potential participants, we would be grateful if you would agree to fill in our questionnaire - that you might find very interesting; and forward this request to friends and colleagues (the so-called snowball effect). We are hoping to attract as many people as possible from all over the UK.

The questionnaire only asks for participants' views. It does not collect any personal data or ask intrusive questions. All responses will be completely anonymous and will only be used for research purposes. The questionnaire can be viewed online at: http://www.w-lab.de/jury_me06.html

If you would like to have any further information about the study, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Also, if you would like a short (presumably 1 page) summary of our results of the study, you are also more than welcome to write me an email.

I should be most grateful for your help

With kind regards

Yours sincerely

Anja Berger
Department of Psychology
Social Psychology
University of Potsdam
Postfach 60 15 53
D-14415 Potsdam

News: August 2006

JOB CENTRES NOW ADVERTISING "JOB VACANCIES" IN LAP-DANCING CLUBS

JobCentrePlus is now advertising for jobs in lap dancing bars (See this advertisement for an Edinburgh bar).  In our view this is wholly inappropriate, in terms of normalizing the exploitation of women.  It is also very concerning at a time when we are trying to prevent young women from entering prostitution that job centres have started advertising jobs in the ‘sex industry’, given what we know about the links between lap dancing and prostitution.

Rape Crisis Scotland have been in contact with JobCentrePlus, who have informed us that their regulations were changed following a case brought by Ann Summers.  Previously, job centres did not accept job vacancies from any organisation involved in the ‘sex industry’.  This included Ann Summers shops.  Ann Summers took JobCentrePlus to court over this, and won.  This resulted in JobCentrePlus taking the decision to change their internal regulations to accept adverts from the ‘sex industry’, with the proviso that all adverts carried a mandatory statement stating that people were under no obligation to consider making an application for this particular vacancy (i.e. their job seekers allowance would not be removed if they did not apply).

The outcome of the Ann Summers case was very unfortunate; however in our opinion it is quite a step to go from advertising vacancies in Ann Summers shops to advertising for lap dancing bars.  This is an internal policy decision by JobCentrePlus. 

If you are interested in writing a letter of complaint to JobCentrePlus on this issue.  The contact address is:

JobCentrePlus
Level Six
Caxton House
Tothill Street
London
SW1H 9NA

Julie Bindel's research entitled, "Profitable Exploits: Lap Dancing in the UK", gives an insight into life inside lap dancing clubs in Britain and clearly demonstrates the link between lap dancing and prostitution. 

Two other articles provide further information on the subject: the first of these, by Ronald Weitzer, criticises feminist research into prostitution and differentiates between indoor and outdoor prostitution, the second is Melissa Farley's response to Weitzer.  Dr Farley's response gives some excellent information on the reality of indoor prostitution which is often operated under the guise of 'adult entertainment' venues such as lap dancing bars.

News: July 2006

RAPE CRISIS NEWS : ISSUE 5

The latest issue of Rape Crisis News is now available.
Issue 5 is a Special Issue looking at rape, sexual assault and the law in Scotland.

Any comments, suggestions or contributions for future editions are welcome at any time and should be sent to eileen.maitland@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk.

News: June 2006

OUTRAGE AT SUGGESTED LINK BETWEEN RAPE & WOMEN'S DRINKING

The Assistant Chief Constable of Lothian & Borders Police caused outrage at the start of this month by suggesting the number of rapes in Scotland could be substantially reduced if women drank less alcohol.  Neil Richardson stated that “a lot” of rapes could be prevented by “people not allowing themselves to be in a vulnerable position”.  His comments followed the release of a report written by a police officer which found that in around a quarter of rape cases considered, the victim had drunk 5 units or more of alcohol.

Although the assistant chief constable emphasized that he was not blaming women in these circumstances, it is unfortunately quite difficult to interpret his comments in any other way.

These comments are just one more example of how in cases of rape the focus is on the woman’s behaviour.  Far too often the emphasis is on how as women we need to modify our behaviour to avoid rape.  This has the effect of the actual perpetrators of these offences becoming practically invisible.

In response to concerns expressed by Rape Crisis Scotland – and the many other individuals and agencies who contacted our organisation to express their concerns – the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland released the following statement:

ACPOS RESPONSE TO RAPE CRISIS SCOTLAND
14th JUNE 2006

The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) has issued the following statement to Rape Crisis Scotland after a number of newspapers reported on academic research carried out into the occurrence of alcohol consumption by rape victims.

‘It is vital to stress that sexual assault is never considered to be the fault of the survivor, the blame lies fairly and squarely with the perpetrator, who, in almost all cases, is male.    Society as a whole has a role to play in changing attitudes towards all forms of sexual and domestic abuse and we are committed to work with partner agencies to challenge viewpoints.

ACPOS is firmly of the view that sexual assault is one of the most heinous crimes that can be committed against a person and that society must challenge the perpetrators actions and be careful not to further victimise survivors.      

We know that a very high proportion (generally in the region of around 80% of all reported rapes) are committed by perpetrators who are ‘known’ to the survivor in some way, either as a relative, family friend, neighbour or someone the complainer has met socially that evening or shortly prior to the assault.  

Unfortunately there are many individuals who prey on vulnerable persons and, on occasions, that may be when excessive alcohol has been consumed. Rape is a horrific crime, which can have a devastating effect on the survivor and extended family.  ACPOS are absolutely committed to ensuring that survivors have confidence to report their experience to the police and that a thoroughly professional and timeous enquiry is undertaken’.            

MORE DETAILED RAPE STATISTICS

Further to the information detailed in May News below which appeared in the most recent Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletins, the Executive also recently released more detailed statistics for rape in Scotland in response to a parliamentary question from the Green Party. These provide more of a breakdown in terms of geographical area, and also make a distinction between rape and attempted rape, which the statistics provided in the Bulletins do not.

In summary, these statistics indicate that of 900 reported rapes, only 86 led to a prosecution – 9.5%

For 900 reported rapes, there were only 39 convictions – 4.3%

The newly published Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Review of the Investigation and Prosecution of Sexual Offences in Scotland indicates that of adult rape cases which reach court, only 26% result in a rape conviction.

To see the Crown Office Report in full, go to http://www.crownoffice.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/9/0000174.pdf

News: May 2006

SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE STATISTICAL BULLETINS

New information appearing in the Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin (CrJ/2006/03) published during April 2006, which deals with criminal proceedings in Scottish courts during 2004/5, provides an enhanced picture of the conviction rate for rape cases in Scotland when viewed alongside the Statistical Bulletin (CrJ/2005/10) which came out last October and gave figures for recorded crime in Scotland for the same period. In summary, the figures these documents present are as follows:

Total reported rapes & attempted rapes [these are not distinguished] 2004/5 – recorded by the police – 1109
Total convictions (with a charge proved where the charge was rape or attempted rape) – 62. From this we can estimate a conviction rate for the financial year 2004/5 of 5.5%.

SCOTTISH LAW COMMISSION CONSULTATION - RAPE CRISIS SCOTLAND & RAPE LAW REFORM GROUP RESPONSES

The consultation period on the Scottish Law commission's proposals for changes to the law in Scotland on rape and sexual offences concluded on 1st May. The full response on these from Rape Crisis Scotland can be found here.

A separate response, from the Rape Law Reform Group, can be found here.

****HARDCORE - SCREEN DISCUSSION AND DEBATE****

On Wednesday 17th May 6-8.30pm, there will be a screening of Hardcore (a hard hitting and harrowing Channel 4 documentary about one English woman's experiences in the LA porn industry) followed by a panel discussion and debate about the film. The film raises important questions not only about the sex industry but also about the ethics of documentary film practice and the producer (Richard Sattin) and writer/director (Stephen Walker) will be taking your questions afterwards. Also on the panel is Catherine Harper from Scottish Women Against Pornography and Karen Boyle from the Unviersity of Glasgow.

Tickets can be reserved in advance by contacting the GFT direct (tel: 0141 332 8128)

****CHALLENGING DEMAND : A ONE-DAY CONFERENCE****

The Women’s Support Project has organised a one-day conference on 18th May to look at challenging the demand from men to buy sex which has led to the commercial exploitation of women in many different forms. Here are further details and an application form in case you are interested in attending.

News: April 2006

LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS

Scottish Law Commission Review
The Scottish Law Commission issued a Discussion Paper at the end of January, outlining their proposals for reform to the law on rape and sexual assault. This paper (and other relevant documents, including a summary of the paper) can be found at http://www.scotlawcom.gov.uk/html/discussion_papers.html#dp132.

The deadline for responses to the SLC is 1st May. Rape Crisis Scotland has prepared a briefing paper (focusing in particular on consent, the definition of rape, and corroboration) outlining our initial responses to this document and would welcome any additions or amendments to the draft sent out to centres on 20th March.

Vulnerable Witnesses Act
The Vulnerable Witnesses Act has had a staggered implementation, with provisions for children introduced first in April 2005. The second phase of this legislation will be implemented shortly, and should mean that adult complainers in rape and sexual assault cases have enhanced access to special measures such as the use of screens and of a supporter in court, or the opportunity to give evidence via CCTV. The new legislation does not provide automatic entitlement to special measures, but Crown Office staff have indicated that they intend to take a pro-active approach in raising issues with regard to special measures with complainers in order to ascertain whether they can be made available to them in every instance where they might be required. A much fuller account of this will be provided in the next issue of Rape Crisis News.

Crown Office Review
The Crown Office is currently conducting a review into the investigation and prosecution of rape and sexual assault. It is hoped that a report outlining their findings and recommendations will be forthcoming by the end of April.

The main areas on which this review is focussed are:

• Rape and other non-consensual sexual offences
• Sexual offences against children and the prosecution of historical sexual offences
• Forensic and medical evidence in the prosecution of sexual offences
• Information/support for victims and witnesses
• Advocacy skills

NEW SEXUAL ASSAULT REFERRAL CENTRE (SARC)

The Scottish Executive has agreed £1.67 million to fund Scotland’s first specialist care centre for victims of rape and sexual assault. The funding is for a three year pilot, on the understanding that other funding is put in place to finance the initiative (known as the Assault, Rape, Counselling, Health (ARCH) Centre) beyond its pilot phase. Councillors on Strathclyde Joint Police Board agreed to fund the initiative beyond the pilot should it prove successful : Strathclyde Police will meet 55% of this with the remainder coming from Greater Glasgow NHS Board and Glasgow City Council. The ARCH brings together police, social work and health service professionals together and means that victims of rape and sexual assault will no longer have to undergo an examination at a police station. This represents a major step forward in improving the treatment of survivors of rape and sexual assault following an attack.

News: October 2005

NEW RAPE CRISIS SERVICE OPENS IN THE WESTERN ISLES

A new rape crisis service has opened in the Western Isles, funded by the Scottish Executive. The Western Isles Rape Crisis Centre is now providing free and confidential support and information to women who have experienced sexual violence. The centre’s helpline is open 3 times a week, on Monday mornings from 10am-12noon, Wednesday afternoons from 12.30-2.30pm and Friday evenings 7pm -9pm. The service is available for women throughout the Western Isles who have been raped, sexually assaulted and/or abused at any point in their lives.

The centre can be contacted on:

Helpline: 01851 709965
Email: info@wircc.org.uk
Address: PO Box 9929, Stornoway, HS1 2DS

NEW RESEARCH INTO USE OF SEXUAL HISTORY EVIDENCE IN SEXUAL OFFENCE TRIALS

In 2002, new legislation was enacted through the Sexual Offences (Procedure and Evidence) (Scotland) Act which attempted to tighten restrictions relating to the use of sexual history and character evidence in sexual offence trials. As part of their commitment to evaluating this Act, the Scottish Executive has commissioned baseline research into the use of sexual history and character evidence in sexual offences prior to the implementation of the 2002 Act. This research will serve as a baseline for assessing the effectiveness of the provisions of the 2002 Act. An evaluation of the 2002 Act is currently underway.

The baseline research can be accessed at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/09/13144738/47390

SCOTTISH COALITION AGAINST SEXUAL EXPLOITATION – POSTCARD CAMPAIGN

The Scottish Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation (SCASE) has launched a postcard campaign to raise awareness of the harm caused through activities such a lap dancing and table dancing. Thousands of postcards have been distributed throughout Scotland. The postcards are designed to be sent to Tom McCabe, Minister for Finance and Public Sector Reform, asking him not the support the licensing of exploitative activities.

This campaign was initiated in response to a consultation from the Scottish Executive on ‘adult entertainment’, a term that SCASE reject as legitimizing the exploitation of women.

A copy of the Scottish Executive consultation document, and the SCASE briefing in response to this document, can be accessed below.

AEWG Consultation       AEWG Briefing August 2005

Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these documents. You probably have this on your computer, but if you don't you can download the Free Adobe Acrobat Reader here.

For more information on the postcard campaign, or the work of SCASE generally, please contact SCASE c/o Rape Crisis Scotland, 93 Hope Street, Glasgow G2 6LD.

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News Last update: 16 March 2005 

Welcome to the news section of our website. We intend this to cover a range of news, events, developments, policy statements and information. Please feel free to email us with information which you think would be of interest to our visitors, although unfortunately we cannot guarantee to put it on the website.

In 2005 we will send out occasional information mailings by email and you can register on the site to receive these. All we need is your email address.

You can read our newsletter, Rape Crisis News, here as well as recent reports.This section will also be where you can find information about formal responses we and our member centres make to various consultation exercises carried out by national or local government and/or other agencies.

Rape Crisis News 1 Spring 04   (pdf)

Rape Crisis News 2 Summer 04   (pdf)

Rape Crisis News 3 Winter 04/05   (pdf)

Legal Seminar Summer 2004  (report downloadable in two parts from October news page)

Rape Crisis Scotland Annual Report 2003-2004   (pdf)

Rape Crisis Scotland Information Leaflet (pdf)

(NB: The Rape Counselling & Resource Centre, in Kilmarnock, has joined SRCN since this leaflet was printed. Contact info on local centres page)

 

Our responses to consultations: (1st 3 are 'word' documents, next 3 'pdf'))

•  Click here for our submission in November 2003 to the Parliament's Justice 1 Committee on the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) ( Scotland ) Bill.

•  Click here for our updated briefing in November 2003 on the Vulnerable Witnesses ( Scotland ) Bill.

•  Click here for our submission in Sept 2003 to the Parliament's Justice 2 Committee, on the Vulnerable Witnesses ( Scotland ) Bill. This was a joint submission with the Commission for Racial Equality Scotland and the Equality Network.

•  Click here for our response in April 2003 to the Scottish Executive consultation Improving Practice: 2002 Review of the Practices and Procedure of the High Court of Justiciary.

•  Click here for our response in January 2003 to the Scottish Executive consultation on Child Witness Support.

•  Click here for our response in July 2002 to the Scottish Executive consultation Vital Voices, Helping Vulnerable Witnesses Give Evidence.

NB: You can find full details of such exercises, updates on subsequent Executive action and other useful related information on the Scottish Executive and Scottish Parliament websites http://www.scotland.gov.uk and http://www.scottish.parliament.uk by searching for ‘rape crisis’ or ‘sexual abuse’ or specific relevant terms, e.g. “vulnerable witnesses”.

Please note that not all the views expressed in items on these news pages will necessarily be the views of the Scottish Rape Crisis Network.