Rape Crisis Scotland

Rape Crisis News: Survivors' Issue

We are delighted to publish Issue 11 of Rape Crisis News: a very special Survivors’ issue.

Here we celebrate courage and resilience in the aftermath of sexual violence as well as the power of mutual support, creativity, education and campaigning for change.

Included in this issue are first-hand narratives from women on their experiences of the justice process, reflections on a rape-supportive culture and the impact of sexual violence, as well as a range of powerful poetry and artwork which has emerged from experiences of sexual violence and in some cases formed part of a healing process.

Our sincere thanks to all contributors. You can download the latest issue of Rape Crisis News here.

'It's the difference between having quality of life and not'

Rape Crisis Scotland has published an evaluation of the impact of rape crisis services in Scotland.

In 2012 RCS commissioned an evaluation of support provided by the national helpline and local centres which included an assessment of the extent to which the national helpline and local rape crisis centres provide integrated support to survivors. The evaluation included interviews with local centres and survivors who described the support they received and the difference this made to them. Service users interviewed for the evaluation give a sense of the vital importance of rape crisis services:

‘It’s the difference between having quality of life and not.’

‘It’s been a lifeline – they are always there at the end of the phone. They gave me techniques to use to deal with flashbacks. I will never get rid of that in my mind but I’ve learned to focus on the positive and the things I enjoy.’

‘I can now manage to keep going. I know now that nothing bad is going to come out of it. One weekend I was frantic and really, really low. I texted their mobile and she phoned me and we talked.’

‘If you have years of things happening to you it becomes normal. You become so used to it. But being here helped me understand that it was so wrong. You have to learn to be a person again.’

If you would like to receive a copy of the full evaluation report and related literature review, please get in touch with us.

Rape Crisis Scotland Annual Report 2012

Rape Crisis Scotland has just published its Annual Report for 2012.

This contains the most detailed statistical information ever published by us on the nature and extent sexual violence experienced by survivors contacting rape crisis centres in Scotland.

You can also read related articles published in the Daily Record since the New Year here and here.

Please get in touch with us if you would like to receive a hard copy of the report.

New "Campaigning & activism" issue of Rape Crisis News

The latest issue of Rape Crisis News focuses on campaigning and activism against sexual violence.

We are delighted to publish a great range of contributions, from the story of an anti-rape campaign in Canada and the End Violence Against Women Coalition's "We Are Man" viral, to Survivors UK's "Real Men Get Raped" campaign as well as the brand new "We Can Stop It" campaign, (launched last month by ACPOS in Scotland) - and many more.

You can see the new Rape Crisis News here.

Corroboration - Rape Crisis Scotland Briefing Paper

In July 2012, the Scottish Government issued a consultation paper ‘Reforming Scots Criminal Law & Practice: The Carloway Report’. The consultation paper seeks views on the Scottish Government’s plans to reform the law following on from Lord Carloway’s review of key aspects of Scottish criminal law and practice. The deadline for responses is the 5th October 2012. Rape Crisis Scotland has produced a Briefing Paper outlining the reasons for our support for the removal the requirement for corroboration.You can download the Briefing paper here.

New leaflet : rape & sexual assault abroad

In response to calls received on the RCS Helpline, Rape Crisis Scotland has developed an information leaflet for survivors who have been attacked overseas.

The leaflet is written from 2 perspectives: that of a survivor who reported whilst still overseas but has subsequently returned to Scotland and that of a survivor who, having returned to Scotland, wishes to report an attack that happened abroad.

The leaflet will be available to survivors overseas via a link on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) homepage and will be distributed to locations in Scotland where travellers are likely to seek advice.  Survivors who were attacked overseas will be able to access initial and crisis support from the RCS Helpline regardless of whether or not they are in the country.  The RCS Helpline aims also to link survivors into support agencies and FCO teams in the country where the attack happened to ensure they have access to local knowledge and expertise e.g. on the legal system.

If you would like to receive hard copies of the new leaflet, please email us at info@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk

New issue of Rape Crisis News

A pdf of the latest issue of Rape Crisis News is now available. You can see this at :
http://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/workspace/publications/RCS-News-9-191211-2.pdf

This issue brings together a range of articles which look at the Scottish criminal justice system's response to rape.

Hard copies of this issue will be available in the New Year.

Feminist calendar in aid of the Women's Support Project

Rape Crisis Scotland has produced a calendar to raise funds for a vital service in Glasgow. The calendar features vibrant feminist graffiti art and inspiring quotes for every month of 2012.

Every calendar purchased will help to safeguard the future of the Women's Support Project, to whom all proceeds will be donated.

You can either order the calendar directly from Wordpower via this link: http://bit.ly/vEkNyu or from Rape Crisis Scotland (please email us at info@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk for an order form)

Please help us safeguard this this vital project by circulating this information as widely as possible!

The Women's Support Project was established in 1983 and has provided crucial support to vulnerable women, as well as providing resources, information, training and public education on a broad range of violence against women issues. The Women's Support Project's core funding has been seriously affected by local authority budget cuts, with Glasgow City Council cutting its contribution by 100%.

Rape Crisis Scotland Annual Report

Our Annual Report for 2010 is now available.

2009 annual report published

The latest annual report charts the activities of the organisation over the past year.With three new centres in the membership as well as the proposed new centre in the Scottish Borders, RCS has extended its reach. Highlights of the year include a powerful awareness-raising campaign ‘This is not an invitation to rape me’ and the passing of the Sexual Offences Scotland Act.

Download report