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

To mark National Stalking Awareness Day, which takes place today (April 18th), Rape Crisis Scotland is releasing a new version of its Stalking information in BSL for deaf people. You can see this at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmE1g8gBPhI . This video joins the RCS Stalking leaflet, and its translations into French, Urdu, Punjabi, Mandarin Chinese, Slovak, Arabic and Polish on this subject.

Rape Crisis Scotland is part of the Scottish National Group on Stalking, working together with partner agencies to raise awareness and promote good practice around stalking. As part of National Stalking Awareness Day, the Scottish Government is hosting an event, launched by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill to promote the issue, highlight the legislation which came into effect in December 2010 and share good practice.

There will be a co-ordinated event in Westminster, where the UK Government is currently looking to develop specific legislation for England & Wales.
For more information on stalking please see www.scotlandagainststalking.com or www.stalkinghelpline.org

Rape Crisis Scotland is looking for new volunteers to work on the National Helpline, offering initial and crisis support for anyone affected by sexual violence.

The opportunity is open to all women but we are particularly keen to hear from women from BME communities, disabled women and older women. The helpline is based in Glasgow. A comprehensive training programme will start on Saturday 21st April.

If you are interested in applying to volunteer, we are holding an information evening where you can find out more about us and what’s involved, on Monday 19th March at The Albany Learning & Conference Centre, 44 Ashley Street, Glasgow G3 6DS between 6.30 – 8pm.

For more information or to book a place at the information evening, please contact Cath Campbell on 0141 331 4188 or email Volunteer@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk

This post requires a female applicant and is exempt under Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010. The selection process will include seeking enhanced disclosure information.

Rape Crisis Scotland has developed a new training DVD for staff or volunteers who will be involved in providing support to survivors of sexual violence.  The DVD is intended to highlight some of the key values, skills and qualities involved in providing support.  The DVD includes key tips (which can be viewed here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMUr78DnO50&feature=youtu.be) and responses to 5 common scenarios.  If you are interested in accessing training using the DVD, contact your local rape crisis centre.

Archway Glasgow and Rape Crisis Scotland are holding a joint conference on 8th February 2012.

Entitled "The Way Forward: responding to the needs of rape survivors", the conference aims to reflect on rape and sexual assault service provision, to highlight successes and point the way ahead for the future. The day will provide an opportunity to facilitate a better understanding of what strategies and approaches are most effective in dealing with sexual assault in Scotland, and look at development of services.

The conference is open to all who work in or are interested in rape and sexual assault services in Scotland. You can download a conference flyer here. The conference is free, and will take place at the Radisson Hotel, 301 Argyle Street, Glasgow G2 8DL on Wednesday 8th February 2012 between 9am and 4.30pm.

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.

"Silence" is a short documentary film narrated through personal experience of partner rape, and reveals the wider implications of rape myths. You can see the film at : www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVy18zK-ULw

Sharon, a Senior Lecturer in Psychology explains the prevalence of acquaintance rape, countering the common myth that all rapists are strangers. She also explains that only a minority of victims receive justice.

Joanne has worked directly with victims and thinks victim stereotypes are dangerous. She illustrates that false stereotypes around the way women behave in the aftermath of sexual violence can lead to survivors of acquaintance rape being routinely disbelieved and blamed for their abuse.

The mother and sister of a rape survivor talk directly about their experiences with public and police reactions, talking about the damage that rape myths can cause.

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%.

To coincide with International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women, Rape Crisis (England and Wales) and Rape Crisis Scotland have launched their new National Service Standards for Rape Crisis Centres. The standards represent a collaboration between the two national umbrella organisations and are the culmination of a process of research, reflection, consultation and definition spanning five years.

The standards describe in detail what is needed in order to deliver effective specialist sexual violence services. They cover the wider aspects of managing an organisation as well the more specific detail of services to survivors of rape and sexual assault such as the need to provide confidentiality and ensure safety. Please click here for a full press statement.

Rape Crisis Scotland is also publishing for the first time statistics outlining the services provided by rape crisis centres across Scotland. These provide, for the very first time, a picture of the range services offered to survivors of sexual violence throughout the country, and a broad profile of those who are accessing these.

Ten centres participated in the project: Argyll & Bute, Dundee, Dumfries & Galloway, Fife, Glasgow, Edinburgh (including ELSAS their East Lothian project), Lanarkshire, Perth & Kinross, Scottish Borders and the Western Isles.

72% of callers to Rape Crisis Centre helplines are calling for the first time. The statistics shown give a summary of the support offered by these centres for the period 1 April 2010 – 31 March 2011. It is clear from these figures that there is a significant demand for rape crisis services across the country.

It is important to note that the actual level of support offered by RCCs in Scotland is greater than the figures given here. These figures represent the data from the ten participants of our 13 member centres during the project.* In addition, the actual level of prevalence of sexual violence in Scotland is likely to be far greater than the figures represented here, as many survivors of sexual violence don’t feel able to tell anyone about what has happened to them.

*Statistics for the other three member centres – Aberdeen, Central Scotland and Kilmarnock may be available either from their websites or by contacting the centre directly. Please visit www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk for contact information.

Please contact Rape Crisis Scotland on 0141 331 4180 or email info@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk for further information. You can also download the information on this page as an Information Paper.

Rape Crisis Scotland welcomes Lord Carloway’s recommendation that the requirement for corroboration be removed, and hopes that this will better equip our legal system to respond effectively to the reality faced by the vast majority of rape survivors. As most rape cases take place in private, with no witnesses and frequently little if any physical injury, the requirement for corroboration has presented rape complainers and prosecutors with unique difficulties in mounting effective cases.

We are, however, under no illusions that this move will constitute a solution in and of itself to the difficulties faced by rape survivors in obtaining justice. Corroboration is not a requirement in England and Wales, and the conviction rate for rape there is not significantly higher than it is in Scotland. While this development may represent a step forward for rape complainers in Scotland, we must continue to examine all possibilities in our efforts to give those who have suffered this devastating crime the justice they deserve.

While the need for corroboration has presented one barrier to many cases getting to court, public attitudes present a further obstacle to women seeking justice for rape. For as long as some jurors continue to hold attitudes that blame the behaviour, dress, demeanour or reputation of women for rape, they will continue to be denied justice.

To mark the international 16 days of action campaign to raise awareness on violence against women, West Lothian Violence against Women Strategic Group in partnership with Rape Crisis Scotland are pleased to invite you to the special screening of the drama documentary “Consent” followed by a panel discussion.

The event will be taking place on the 7^th December, 6:00 – 8:30 pm, West Lothian Civic Centre Chambers. For further details please download the flyer.

If you would like to attend or for further information please contact civiccentreadminteam@westlothian.gov.uk or 01506 281 111 by the 21st November. Please register early to avoid disappointment, places are limited.

Rape Crisis Scotland has adapted an apt and popular revision of the traditional approach to rape prevention in a new poster and postcard campaign. We hope this will help to reverse the popular trend of focusing rape prevention messages on women and instead transfer these towards more appropriate recipients - potential perpetrators.

You can see the poster here, the front of the postcard here, and the reverse of the postcard here.

Hard copies of posters in A4 and A3 sizes, and of postcards will be available shortly.

Please write to info@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk if you would like to receive some of these.

We also hope to have high and low resolution images available for download from this website.

Watch this space!

The International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival Document 9, which takes place in Glasgow between the 20th and 23rd October, will include a screening of "Silence", a short documentary film narrated through personal experience of partner rape, and revealing the wider implications of rape myths.

Sharon, a Senior Lecturer in Psychology explains the prevalence of acquaintance rape, countering the common myth that all rapists are strangers. She also explains that only a minority of victims receive justice.

Joanne has worked directly with victims and thinks victim stereotypes are dangerous. She illustrates that false stereotypes around how victims can act can lead to survivors of acquaintance rape being routinely disbelieved and blamed for their abuse.

The mother and sister of a rape survivor talk directly about their experiences with public and police reactions, talking about the damage that rape myths can cause.

"Silence" will be screened on 21st October in the Clubroom at the Centre for Contemporary Arts, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow between 11am and 12 noon. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the audience, Laura Connett the filmmaker, and Sandy Brindley from Rape Crisis Scotland.

For more information about Document 9 see http://documentfilmfestival.org.

The Scottish Government has today published new statistics on recorded crime in Scotland. These indicate that reported rapes & attempted rapes rose in the year 2010-11 by 14%. It should be borne in mind however, that the period covered by the new figures includes the first four months of implementation of the new Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act which came into force in December 2010. The new and wider definition of rape which is included in the Act means that it is likely that the rise in reported rape is due at least in part to the fact that some sexual crimes which would previously known under other offence headings are now considered as rape. While this may offer something of an explanation, any rise in the number of rapes reported is a matter for concern. The level of detail currently offered by statistics is not sufficient to offer an insight into the extent to which the changes the Act have played a part in the rise we see today, and Rape Crisis Scotland will continue to campaign for improvements not only in survivors' experiences of accessing justice, but also in a statistical picture which will allow us to gauge the extent of those improvements accurately.

Today’s statistics also show a drop in the “clear-up” rate for sexual crimes to 55%. A crime is considered to be “cleared-up”  where there is a sufficiency of evidence under Scots law, to justify consideration of criminal proceedings. Rape is a serious crime that can take a great deal of courage to report, and for someone who has been through this experience to be told that their case will not be prosecuted can compound a devastating experience still further. It is currently the case in Scotland that only around 10% of cases of reported rapes are prosecuted, and it is vital that we continue to make every effort to ensure that the remaining 90% of rape complainers also have access to justice.

You can see the new statistics at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/09/02120241/0

Rape Crisis Scotland is putting together a new resource in the form of a small book comprising a collection of words and phrases which have been a source of comfort, reassurance and support for survivors of sexual violence. What we are looking for are examples of everyday reassurances which have been real sources of verbal comfort. These don’t have to be anything unique or special – just examples of things which you have found really helpful yourself when someone said them to you, or have said yourself to someone else, and would be willing to share with us.

Are there particular things that you feel can make a real difference?

We would love to hear of anything that you think has been meaningful and supportive for survivors.

Please send any contributions to us at: info@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk

Thanks very much in advance for anything you might be able to send.

Rape Crisis Scotland has launched a new postcard challenging attitudes to rape.

Please contact info@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk if you would like to receive hard copies of the new postcards.

You can also download pdfs of the front of the postcard here, and of the reverse here.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has today published new figures on rape convictions in Scotland for the period 2008/9. These indicate that 7% of rapes reported to the police resulted in a conviction. While substantially higher than those previously extrapolated from other data made available by the Scottish Government, the new figures continue to show that there is no room for complacency and substantial improvements must yet take place in order to give survivors confidence that they will receive justice for this serious and damaging crime. The new figures also show that in 31% of cases indicted the accused was found or pled guilty.

While there have been some important and welcome changes over the past few years in the way rape is prosecuted in Scotland (for example with the setting up of the National Sexual Crimes Unit), it is worrying that so few cases get to court. The new figures released by the Crown Office show that over a third of rapes reported to the police never even make it as far as the Crown Office. It can take a lot of courage to report a crime like rape to the police, and it can be devastating to find out your case is not going to make it to court. There are grave concerns that this situation will worsen as a consequence of the recent Cadder judgement. Action must be taken to ensure that the prosecution rate for rape does not fall even further.

Efforts must also continue to ensure that data-gathering in this area is rigorous and robust so that clarity around improvements made and those still required can be guaranteed.

Rape Crisis Scotland continues to be contacted by women who feel very let down by the justice system, either because their case did not make it to court, or if it did, resulted in a not proven verdict. It is clear much remains to be done to ensure rape survivors have access to justice.

Following the UK Supreme court’s Cadder ruling last year, the Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill asked Lord Carloway to undertake a review to consider the implications of the ruling and make recommendations.

The Cadder ruling relates to an accused’s right to legal representation during police questioning, and has had a particular impact on sexual offences.  Due to the difficulties in obtaining corroboration in sexual offences cases (because they often happen in private, with no witnesses) the police prior to Cadder were often reliant on admissions from the accused to help them build a case.  Since the Cadder decision, defence lawyers seem to be routinely advising their clients to make no comment at all during police interviews, which is causing serious difficulties and has the potential to make prosecutions in rape cases even more difficult.

As well as considering questions relating to legal representation for the accused, Lord Carloway has also been considering broader issues relating to evidence, including the requirement for corroboration and whether or not juries should be able to draw an adverse inference if the accused remains silent and refuses to answer any questions. Rape Crisis Scotland has produced a briefing paper outlining our position on these questions raised by the Carloway Review and hope this will be helpful to other agencies planning to respond to the consultation.  Click here to download the RCS briefing paper. The deadline for consultation responses is 3^rd June 2011.

It is now clear that the SNP will be the next Scottish Government. 
Two explicit commitments in their manifesto are of particular interest to anyone concerned with addressing violence against women:  continuing funding for Rape Crisis Scotland and Scottish Women’s Aid, and legislating so that in sexual offence trials judges will direct juries not to take into account any delay in reporting a rape or any apparent lack of resistance from the victim / survivor when reaching their decision.  Two very important pledges with the potential to make a real difference.  Provision of support and access to justice following a crime as traumatic as rape need to be seen as basic human rights.  Rape Crisis Scotland looks forward to the implementation of these commitments and to working with the new Scottish Government to improve responses to sexual violence.

Rape Crisis Scotland is seeking to recruit volunteers to contribute to the staffing of the helpline. A full internal training programme will start on Saturday the 4^th of June 2011.

An information evening will take place on Wednesday the 4^th of May at The Albany Learning & Conference Centre, 44 Ashley Street, Glasgow G3 6DS between 6.30 – 8pm.

Please contact Paula.Dunn@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk or write to Paula at Rape Crisis Scotland, Tara House, 46 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 1HG or telephone 0141 331 4185.

This post requires a female applicant and is exempt under Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010. The selection process will include seeking enhanced disclosure information.

In order to represent the diversity of our services users we are particularly keen to recruit women from BME communities, Disabled women and older women.

The justice gap

Raped policeman: I never thought I would be a victim

Should the Scottish legal system be changed to ensure more rape allegations get to court?

Analysis: victims' human rights at stake

Scots rape laws face European challenge

Reasons to believe rape is becoming mainstream

What about the human rights of women to protection from rape & access to justice?

Glasgow rape unit set up after series of attacks

Shine a light on Glasgow's seedy side streets

Horrific sex attack prompts sentencing call from Tories

Justice in sex attack cases more difficult says MacAskill

Getting wise to a new breed of sexual predators

Punishing rape on a home or away principle is not the way forward

"World's largest paedophile ring" uncovered

Aitken steps down over rape remarks

Tory MSP Bill Aitken resigns over rape comments

Political Scrapbook - Bill Aitken quits over rape comments

ECPAT report - protecting children from sex offenders who travel

Dr Claire Chung has a right to be angry

Why I confronted the man who raped me

Life after rape

Additional funding for rape crisis centres (England & Wales)

Bournemouth to get rape support centre after grant

Trafford Rape Crisis to get Government funding

Victims of sexual abuse given 'voice' in Blackburn

Paedophile cult leader convicted over 'satanic' rape campaign

Tale helps play highlight horrors of sexual violence

Honour killings plans do not go far enough

Meetings will explain Sarah's Law

DR Congo Colonel jailed for mass rape

Rape in the military - a culture of sexual assault

Emmerdale's Jane Cox - Playing a rape victim is awful

Former nurse admits sex offences against 49 girls

BBC researching child on-street grooming

On International Women's Day, honoring a woman who told the world about rape in the Congo

Rape victim "inviting" so no jail

Sexual violence and the Arab uprisings

Egypt's women facing growing sexual harassment

Soldiers says military doesn't protect them from sexual assault

Sudan used sexual violence against female acivists, right group says

Scourge of "corrective" rape (video)

Italian women struggle to succeed as probe dogs Berlusconi

The war in the Congo waged on the bodies of women and girls

Gaming, rape culture & how I stopped reading Penny Arcade

New York - dramatic increase in rape cases

Military culture enables sexual assaults?

UN urges reparation fund for Congo rape victims

How attitudes to prostitution have changed

New Egypt inherits old Egypt's sexual violence

Ames woman's ordeal leads to child abuse Bill

Public perception has the greatest impact on sexual assault cases

Suit accuses American Apparel founder of sexual abuse

Life after 25 years of prostitution

Targetting the sex buyer

Rape in Turkey

New figures released by the Scottish Government show a significant increase in the proportion of rape cases which reach court leading to a conviction.

Out of 92 rapes prosecuted in 2009-10, there were 41 convictions. This compares with 26 convictions out of 85 rape prosecutions the previous year.

The recorded crime figures for the same year show that there were 884 rapes reported to the police. The proportion of reported rapes leading to a conviction was 4.6%[1], compared to 3% in 2008-09. The majority of reported rapes did not reach court – only approximately 10% of rapes were prosecuted. However, of the rapes prosecuted the conviction rate was 44.6%.

	2009-10	2008-09
Rapes recorded by the police	884	821
Number of rapes prosecuted	92	85
Number of convictions	41	26

Recent years have seen significant changes in the way rape is investigated and prosecuted in Scotland. This has included the establishment of a dedicated National Sexual Crimes Unit to oversee the prosecution of sexual offences in Scotland. Rape Crisis Scotland is encouraged to see a quite significant increase in the number of rapes which get to court resulting in a conviction.

It remains, however, a matter of concern that so few rapes ever reach court. Rape is a crime which can take a lot of courage to report to the police, and finding out your case is not going to court can be devastating.

It is clear that much remains to be done, not least in changing attitudes to rape to try to minimize the impact that women blaming attitudes may have on jury deliberations. We hope that these new figures are indicative that as a nation we are moving in the right direction in improving access to justice following rape.

Rape Crisis Scotland is holding a special screening of the film “Consent”, which was originally broadcast on Channel 4 in 2007.

“Consent” features the dramatization of the background to a rape case, and follows colleagues Becky and Steve on the works night out which led up to the case. The second part of the film, is not a dramatization, however, but a courtroom setting where the trial is conducted as though it were real. We see at first hand the deliberations of a jury of real people, who must decide whether Steve is guilty of rape, based on what they have seen. The screening will be followed by an audience/panel discussion. The panel will include representatives from the Crown Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland. The event will take place at the cinema in the Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow on Monday 7^th March at 6pm. Attendance is free, but places must be booked in advance. Please contact julie.scobbie@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk if you would like to reserve a place.

We are delighted to report that the Scottish Government has announced its intention to continue funding for violence against women services in Scotland for the coming year.

At the Scottish Government debate on Violence against Women held on 23rd December 2010, Alex Neil the Minister for Housing and Communities, announced that three vital funds will be retained at their current level in the next financial year.

This follows an intensive period of joint campaigning by Scottish Women’s Aid and Rape Crisis Scotland.

Prior to the announcement it had been thought that many services for women and children would be cut. 40 Women’s Aid groups around the country faced an average loss of 40% of their funding. A number of rape crisis centres were facing the possibility of either closure or severe restriction of their services. These services have now been safeguarded.

The announcement came as very welcome news to Lily Greenan, Manager of Scottish Women’s Aid. She said:

“We have worked closely with Rape Crisis Scotland and with local Women’s Aid and Rape Crisis groups around Scotland over the last few months gathering support for the continuation of this funding from the Scottish Government. Today we are all extremely grateful to the MSPs, local politicians and members of the public who have played their part in making this happen.

“Christmas is the time of year when our services are needed most of all – during the festive season there is a dramatic increase in the number of domestic abuse incidents – so it really could not have come at a better time.”

Sandy Brindley, National Coordinator of Rape Crisis Scotland, welcomed the announcement.

“Sexual violence can have a devastating impact and it is crucial that survivors throughout Scotland have access to specialised services. If Scottish Government funding had been lost, rape survivors across Scotland would have found it much more difficult to access support. We believe the provision of support following sexual violence should be a basic right, and we welcome the support for this across the Parliament.”

Although this announcement means that violence against women services will be guaranteed for the year 2011-2012, the future beyond this period continues to be very uncertain, and Scottish Women’s Aid and Rape Crisis Scotland are anxious to secure a long term funding strategy to ensure the sustainability of vital support services and will continue to work towards this. Lily Greenan said:

“We still have a long way to go to ensure that women and children who experience violence are able to access support wherever and whenever they need it. We look forward to working with the Scottish Government and COSLA over the next few months to find ways to secure the future of these vital services.”

We are very grateful indeed to every MSP who signed the pledge to Save Our Services – you can see a list of these here, and if you share our concern and commitment to their long-term provision, please do get in touch with your local MSP and let them know. You can also see the full press statement issued by Scottish Women's Aid and Rape Crisis Scotland here.

<br /><br /> http://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/news/new-initiative-aimed-to-improve-women-s-safety/ 2011-02-11 http://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/news/new-initiative-aimed-to-improve-women-s-safety/ <img src="http://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/image/1/454/180/images/"> <br /> <br />

Glasgow Taxis recently launched a new initiative offering to provide a safe, secure and prioritised service to women. The development, which was run initially over the Christmas period, has now been extended indefinitely. The “Female First” service is intended to stop women having to wander about in search of a taxi after a night out or at other times.

All drivers are guaranteed to have undergone Full Enhanced Disclosure Scotland checks and all calls are recorded both digitally and on paper. Payment of the account is monthly, meaning that no cash is required to book one, and the facility means that women can use the account to stop any Glasgow Taxi (with a small flag on top) on the street.

Anyone wishing to register someone for a “Female First” account should contact 0141 554 2222 and quote “Female First”.

Cadder ruling "affects 60 serious cases" says Crown Office

Sex offender naming scheme to be launched

Future rapist ad sparks controversy and death threats

Anti-rape commercial leads to death threats

Watford Rape Crisis receives £1000 donation

Jackson Katz on educating boys & men about violence against women - Ben Roethlisberger and a "teachable moment"

Prominent Irishmen seek to change prostitution laws

Women’s groups struggle amid funding cuts

Sleepwalker is cleared of raping teenage girl

Women’s services to benefit from funding

Restorative justice – why I confronted the man who raped me

Taking a bystander approach to gender-based violence

Crime down but sex offences up

Transcription of the Violence Against Women debate in Scottish Parliament 23/12/10

Over 1000 sex crime charges dropped in the North & North-East since 2005

Police step up campaign in the Borders - “Drinking is not a crime – rape is

Lanarkshire rape crisis gets cash boost

Lancashire police sex crimes shock

Organised child abuse “growing” problem in Wales

Sexual grooming of children needs government plan

Children as young as 10 groomed for sex by gangs

“Not Ever” cited as one of the successes of 2010 at Stop Street Harassment

Campaign to focus on rape awareness

Call for tracking of all sex offenders

Funding fears threaten future of male abuse service

Why women who report rape fall foul of a harsh criminal justice system

Should violence against women in the UK be seen as a hate crime?

Police campaign to keep the Christmas peace for women

New sex offence laws now in force

Radical changes made to sex offenders Act

Abuse victim wins 6 figure payout from victim

Poster campaign clear on sexual abuse and rape

Players’ Ball – hip hop & sexual abuse

Rape Crisis London

Derby rape gang “targeted children”

Paedophile ring “abused 30 girls” (video)

Tayside police launch abuse handling investigation

New £75,000 rape victim unit opens

Rape victims urge others to report rape and take control

Poster crusade urges sex abuse victims: Don’t suffer in silence

Rape support group set up

Real men don’t buy girls

The real harms of prostitution

A woman. A prostitute. A slave.

Angelina Jolie’s controversial film divides Bosnian rape victims

Rape victim charged with sex crimes

Rape charge dismissed over quirk in Idaho code

Israel: Crisis centre reports 13% rise in complaints

Redefining masculinity is the key to stopping rape

Child sex abuse campaign launched by Council of Europe

Council of Europe campaigns on child sexual abuse (includes video)

A profile of pedophilia

Texas inmate is part of a growing child porn trend that ruins lives
Coming Out As A Male Survivor of Rape, Sexual Assault, Sexual Abuse (video)

Catholic church directive won’t make reporting child abuse mandatory

Boston campaign against sexual harassment paying off

Vatican preparing new guidelines to deal with sexual abuse

Japanese police get lessons in responding to sexual assault

UN chief calls for extra steps to be taken to fight sexual violence

Sexual violence in prison (US) – disgraceful delays

US University implements sexual misconduct policy

Costs of sexual violence in Minnesota

Stopping the hurt at home

Cleric admits telling Gardai of abuse “wasn’t on agenda”
WikiLeaks cables: Vatican refused to engage with child sex abuse inquiry

Australian website for ‘flashers’ defended by founder

South African advert threatens men with prison rape if they drink and drive

Sexual harassment cases in Israel’s Civil Service rose 40% in 2010

Victim tells harrowing story of the boyfriend who called his car the “Rape Rover”

Rape flourishes in the rubble of Haitian earthquake

Rape in war – an overview in the Economist

Zimbabwe – rape: realities & persepectives

The Welsh Assembly Government has launched a campaign to challenge a culture of victim blaming. http://www.stopblame.org/en/

The Stop Blame campaign aims to dispel the myth that victims of rape or assault are in any way responsible for the heinous crimes that they suffer. Victims of rape or sexual assault may be reluctant to report the crime for fear of being judged as responsible for what has happened to them. The campaign aims to put an end to this attitude by showing victims, perpetrators and the public that the blame lays solely with the assailant and not with the victim.

Wales’ Social Justice Minister Carl Sargeant said: “Victims of rape or sexual assault are in no way responsible for what happens to them. Apparent justification such as ‘she was too drunk’ or ‘she was asking for it’ just doesn’t wash. This attitude can be extremely damaging for the victims and we must put an end to it now. There is absolutely no excuse for committing rape or sexual assault and the blame should never be placed on the victim.”

Paula Hardy, Chief Executive of Welsh Women’s Aid, said: “Welsh Women’s Aid and the violence against women sector in Wales have been working closely with the Assembly Government in the development of the campaign. We welcome its launch, which proactively challenges the myths around victim blame, and we hope this will lead to greater justice and support for survivors of rape and sexual assault."

The Welsh Assembly Government campaign was launched on Friday 17 December with a series of radio adverts, outdoor posters and online advertising. The campaign is supported by the stopblame.org website which aims to challenge the blame culture and also features information and advice for victims.

After several years in preparation, the most radical overhaul ever of the law on sexual offences in Scotland has now taken place. On 1^st December 2010, the new Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act came into force, bringing with it a number of significant changes to the law on sexual offences in Scotland.

The definition of rape is now wider than was previously the case, reflecting a recognition within the law that men as well as women can be victims of rape. Consent is now defined in statute in Scotland for the very first time. Hopefully this will overcome problems caused by the subjective interpretations to which its previous location in common law inevitably left it open. Under the new law, consent is defined as “free agreement” and this is supported by a non-exhaustive list of circumstances which, if proved, will indicate that consent was not present. People with a limited or no capacity to consent (for example the very young, or those with a mental disorder) are also better protected within the terms of the new Act.

The new law legislates on a number of related offences. These include sexual coercion (forcing others to take part in sexual activities without their consent), voyeurism, sexual exposure, and sending indecent images by email or text. This Act also extends its jurisdiction beyond the UK in cases where offences against children are committed abroad. These can now be prosecuted In Scotland irrespective of where the offence was committed, or of laws which pertain in that country.

Rape Crisis Scotland welcomes the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act and the commitment it demonstrates to improving the prospects of those who have been victims of sexual violence in obtaining justice. It is important that the spirit of the Act is implemented with a rigour that matches this commitment, and that other measures which can support and facilitate these changes, such as effecting changes in public attitudes, will also remain very much in focus.

You can download an Outline Guide to the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 here.

Hundreds Reclaim the Night in Glasgow

My daughter has seen her rapist several times – he just grins at her

One in three South African men admits to rape, survey finds

Concerns over cuts to women’s welfare aid

Crisis centre for rape victims opens in the Scottish Borders

Borders rape crisis centre officially opens

Scottish Women’s Aid campaign to save domestic abuse services

Suffolk Rape Crisis to open 29^th November

Rape Crisis Centre for Eastenders to open

East London Rape Crisis Centre opens

Sex attacker’s £1000 win for rights breach

Dark, sinister side of this city

Woman jailed for falsely retracting rape claim is freed

Rape awareness survey: how far is too far?

Spend now, save later: the case for gender budget analysis in violence against women spending

Scottish Women’s Aid ‘crowd’ to caution MSPs against false economy

Shock as law chief reveals plans to step down

Notre Dame’s punt in the probe of Lizzy Seeberg’s sad death

Murdered Mexican women commemorated by artists

Ireland: Rape & child sex abuse are “endemic”

Irish centre finds rape & child abuse undeniably linked

American judge advocates “corrective rape” for lesbians

Get used to being raped – or get out

Out from the shadows – men in film about sexual abuse

Nicaragua – put an end to rape, sexual abuse of girls

Nicaragua’s hidden scandal

Wales: call for action against workers in abuse case

Report reveals “intolerable” mistakes in paedophile case

Sunderland: city’s sex crime shock

Six life sentences after catalogue of vile abuse (*Warning: report contains graphic description of abuse)

Vetting and barring the enemy within

Sexual offences reform flawed

Rape probe hysterics an assault on justice

Galway: 60% of Rape Crisis Centre clients abused under age of 17

Canada: civil suits could bring justice for rape victims
U.S. Senate hearing focuses on mishandling of sex crimes nationally, in Cleveland

Guardian: The rise of rape talk

Abusing the word “rape”

Rape on campus: a real issue

No apology from David Haye after “gang rape” comment

US Olympic Committee to take steps to protect against sexual abuse

“In love” with an 8-year-old?

Zimbabwe: Sexual abuse – a silent threat to MDGs

Netherlands: over 100 cases of sexual abuse in children’s homes

Belgian Catholics remain anguished by abuse

On 24th November we took the Save Our Services campaign one step further when we joined forces with Scottish Women’s Aid, Zero Tolerance & White Ribbon Scotland for a day to lobby MSPs at the Scottish Parliament. MSPs moving through the Members’ Lobby on their way to or from the debating chamber were greeted by a visually arresting timeline behind our large stall  - a very eye-catching reminder of the huge advances we’ve made in Scotland over the last four decades in fighting violence against women and supporting those who have suffered its consequences. And very many of them responded by coming over for a few words and signing our pledge to preserve dedicated funding for VAW services. We were delighted to receive the support of the First Minister, who you can see here signing the pledge.

This poster, produced by Perth & Kinross Violence Against Women Partnership, provides contact information for local and national support services and is intended to raise awareness & understanding. Its very clear message reinforces the fact that perpetrators, and not those who suffer at their hands, are to blame.

Printed copies of the posters are available are available from pkdaf@btconnect.com . Could you please indicate when getting in touch how many of each you require.

This joint initiative led by Tayside Police, Western Division, in partnership with Women’s Rape & Sexual Abuse Centre, P&K and Perth & Kinross Community Safety Partnership was launched on the 25th November at Barrack Street Police Station. Local and national press and television were in attendance and we are hoping that there will be good coverage and promotion of the campaign.

The campaign aims to promote the clear message across Perth & Kinross that sex without consent is rape, no matter what the circumstances.

The postcards will be distributed across Perth & Kinross by police officers, and are available for all organisations to use and distribute. Please contact pkdaf@btconnect.com if you would like to receive these.

Botanic Gardens, Glasgow. 6.30pm - Thursday 25th November 2010

For the 4th year in a row Glasgow Rape Crisis invite you to join them to Reclaim The Night to mark the beginning of 16 Days of Action to Eliminate Violence Against Women.

Come along and join the march to Stop Male Violence Against Women. All welcome.

The march will assemble at Botanic Gardens, at the junction of Great Western Road 6.30pm. The march will then make its way through the West End with a rally at S.T.U.C, Woodlands Road, Glasgow.

For more information contact the Rape Crisis email info@rapecrisiscentre-glasgow.co.uk. Details can also be found on:
www.rapecrisiscentre-glasgow.co.uk
www.rapecrisisscotland.co.uk
www.16days.org

Our Annual Report for 2010 is now available.

The Scottish Women’s Budget Group has produced a concise analysis of the case for gender budget analysis in violence against women spending with ‘Spend Now, Save Later’.  The paper was commissioned by Scottish Women’s Aid and Rape Crisis Scotland and we hope it will inform the debate about how financial decisions should be made and highlight in particular the reasons why frontline services such as rape crisis and women’s aid need continued funding, and the costs of not funding these vital services.

Scottish Women’s Aid organised a lobbying event outside the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 28th October at 10.45am.  The aim of this event was to raise awareness of the impact the impending cuts will have on women, children and young people who experience domestic abuse and in particular the impact on Women's Aid services of losing two key funding streams - the Violence Against Women Fund and the Children's Services Fund. Women's Aid workers and supporters from all over Scotland will be coming along.  The importance and potential impact of any threat to the Rape Crisis Specific Fund was also highlighted.

The women and children represented by Women’s Aid are rarely able to speak out in public about what they need from services, so the centrepiece of the event was a group of silhouettes, reminding us that women and children need services because they are not safe at home.

This marked the start of 4 weeks of local lobbying across Scotland, with events organised by local Women's Aid groups in partnership with Scottish Women’s Aid – locations for events included Inverness, Ayrshire, Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as the Scottish Labour Party Conference in Oban and the STUC Women's Conference in Perth.

Following a landmark decision by the UK Supreme Court, the Scottish Government introduced emergency legislation which means that police can no longer question suspects without a lawyer present. Peter Cadder, who was convicted for assault based on evidence obtained before he spoke to his lawyer, made an appeal based on European human rights laws which was upheld. The new Scottish legislation introduces a right of access to legal advice before being questioned, extends the period during which a person may be detained under section 14 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, powers to adjust legal aid eligibility rules and measures to ensure certainty and finality in concluded cases. The Supreme Court judgement does not permit closed cases to be reopened and as such will not be retrospective.

Anyone with queries or concerns about the Cadder judgement or its implications for their cases can find out more detail on the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal  website at http://www.copfs.gov.uk/ or call the enquiry point number: 0844 561 3000. Anyone who may has moved or changed contact details should update the enquiry point or the PF office which dealt with the case with their new details. COPFS has details of all victims and witnesses. If the enquirer is able to supply a PF reference number, the name of an accused or even the PF office which dealt with the case, that will help to speed this process up.

Lifeline for survivors of sexual violence celebrates 3rd anniversary

Rape Crisis Scotland’s National Helpline celebrated its third anniversary on Monday 11th October 2010. Since the Rape Crisis Scotland helpline was launched on 11th October 2007 it has received a total of 7,792 calls from members of the public. The helpline, which is funded by the Scottish Government, provides initial and crisis support to anyone affected by sexual violence. Helpline workers, who comprise a mixture of paid workers and volunteers, staff the helpline which is open every night of the year between 6pm and midnight.

Described by Rape Crisis Helpline Manager Katy Mathieson as a “lifeline for people who have been through some traumatic experiences”, the helpline has taken a large numbers of calls from a diverse range of people: “We’ve taken calls from people in all sorts of situations, from young women and men, to much older people. Callers have been friends, grandparents, co-workers, and partners, though the majority are from survivors themselves. Sometimes people are calling for support around something that happened a very long time ago – or it might be something that happened just last night or last week – there is no set pattern.”

A comprehensive and intensive programme of training covering everything from legal issues to ritual abuse means that helpline workers are well prepared to support callers in the many difficulties they face. “Prospective helpline workers undertake a very rigorous training programme before they begin working on the line, and we also operate a “buddy” system so that they are well supported as they become more experienced in offering support themselves” says Katy.

Many callers are looking for emotional and practical support to deal with their experiences, while others require legal information or on the ground help locally. The helpline also has a minicom service for Deaf or hard of hearing people, and can arrange for language interpreters for callers whose first language is not English. Support materials and a video introduction to Rape Crisis Scotland and the helpline are also available on the Rape Crisis Scotland website in a range of languages.

The Rape Crisis Scotland National Helpline won the BT/Telephone Helpline Association New Helpline of the Year in 2008, and comments from those who have used the service show clearly the difference it has made to their lives:

“Support was amazing”
“I can now see light at the end of the tunnel”
“I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the helpline”

The Rape Crisis Scotland helpline is open from 6pm to midnight, seven days a week on 0808 801 0302.

Dignity on Trial - India’s Need for Sound Standards for Conducting & Interpreting Forensic Exams of Rape Survivors

NHS paying for porn

Fury at David Haye' "Gang rape" fight jibe

Sex crimes in Scotland up despite sharp fall in recorded crime

"Not Ever" has been nominated for the Drum Scottish Advertising Awards in the Charity advert category! See item 29 at

Support for "Not Ever" at the Fringe

'Whether it hurts the woman or not, the men don't care'

The sexually abused dancing boys of Afghanistan

Sex offenders shouldn't be released unless they can demonstrate they've been rehabilitated say campaigners in Ireland

The horrific trade in British children for sex (Independent on Sunday)

We are delighted to report that Dumfries & Galloway Domestic Abuse and Violence Against Women Partnership will be screening "Not Ever" in the Robert Burns Cinema in Dumfries on 17th, 18th & 23rd September and on the 2nd & 18th October.

Glasgow Rape Crisis will be starting a new Volunteer Training Programme in November.
Anyone interested in doing this should email Isabelle@rapecrisiscentre-glasgow.co.uk before the middle of October. An Information Evening will be held on 21st October.

"Making recovery a reality" is a new film from Rape Crisis Scotland which looks at the impact of sexual violence on survivors and highlights the support services offered by the Rape Crisis network in Scotland. Women who have been supported by Rape Crisis centres describe their own journeys of recovery and the part that Rape Crisis has played in making their recovery a reality. We are enormously grateful to everyone who took part in the making of the film.

Save Violence Against Women Services Campaign

The Save Violence Against Women Services Campaign is a joint campaign being run by Rape Crisis Scotland and Scottish Women’s Aid.The campaign aims to protect essential frontline services for women experiencing violence.

Background Information

Violence against women is a serious and widespread issue:

•Each year, 3 million women in Britain experience rape, domestic abuse, stalking or other violence (source: End Violence Against Women Campaign)

•There were 53,681 incidents of domestic abuse recorded by the police in Scotland in 2008-09.In the same year, the police recorded 821 reports of rape, 142 of assault with intent to rape and 1,640 incidents of indecent assault (source: Tackling Violence Against Women: A Review of Key Evidence & National Policy, Scottish Government, 2010)

•A study by NSPCC showed that a third of teenage girls in a relationship suffer an unwanted sexual act (Barter, McCarry, Berridge and Kathy Evans, Partner exploitation and violence in teenage intimate relationships, 2009)

•It is estimated that 20% of women and 5% of men have experienced some form of child sexual abuse (World Health Organisation)

•It is estimated that violence against women costs society £40 billion each year (Hard Knock Life, New Philanthropy Capital, 2008).

The Scottish Government has provided crucial and much needed support over the past decade to help sustain and develop support services such as rape crisis centres and women’s aid groups.This support has taken the form of ring fenced funding specifically for violence against women services.This ring fenced funding has led to a significant improvement in the services for women across Scotland.The Rape Crisis Specific Fund has provided £50,000 per rape crisis centre per year to guarantee a basic level of service and has also funded the creation of 5 new rape crisis centres.The support available for children experiencing domestic abuse has been greatly improved by the Children’s Services Fund which has funded more than 100 children’s workers who have provided services to over 2500 children and young people last year.The Violence Against Women Fund has funded a range of vital support services across the country.If these funds do not continue, the impact on women and children across Scotland will be severe.

Why do we need ring fencing?

The Equality & Human Rights Commission have identified what they call a ‘postcode lottery’ of vital support services for women experiencing violence across the UK.Scotland, however, is recognised as leading the way in the provision of services, and dedicated funding is the reason this has happened:

"The best story to be told is in Scotland where provision is distributed more equally and furthermore is the only part of the UK where there has been an expansion of Rape Crisis Centres. The reason is simple; the Scottish government is developing a strategic approach to addressing violence against women and has allocated ring-fenced funding for services."

The national provision of ring fenced funding was necessary because these services were not being adequately funded at a local level.

What would be the implications of removing ring fencing?

In this economic climate, the consequences of removing ring fencing for these services are even more serious than they would be under other circumstances.There is a serious risk that if funds were allocated to local authorities but not ring fenced that the funding would be diverted elsewhere.For some rape crisis centres, where the Scottish Government funding is their main or only source of funding, this would mean the service closing.After the investment of the past few years, this would be a significantly retrograde step, with devastating implications for survivors of sexual violence.

The campaign

In order to protect essential services for women and children experiencing violence, Rape Crisis Scotland and Scottish Women’s Aid are calling on the Scottish Government to give a commitment to protect ring fenced funding for violence against women services.We will be asking all MSPs to sign a pledge committing to the continuation of this vital funding.

We believe this is the only way to adequately protect the continued existence of these services.

Here is a Press release about the campaign.

For further information, please contact:

Sandy Brindley, Rape Crisis Scotland 0141 331 4182 / 07764167501

Lily Greenan, Scottish Women’s Aid 0131 226 6606 / 07882 692235

Rape Crisis Scotland has launched Scotlands first ever TV campaign aimed at tackling women-blaming attitudes to rape. The advert was launched at a special screening at the Glasgow Film Theatre on Monday 28 June, and was broadcast for the first time that night during coverage of Brazil’s World Cup match. It will continue to be shown over the next 9 weeks on STV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.

The Not Ever advert addresses women-blaming attitudes towards rape such as claims that dressing provocatively, being drunk or flirting with men are contributory factors. Its hard-hitting approach is intended to make people stop in their tracks, and to shake out and challenge ingrained prejudices many Scots have towards women who have been raped.

Recent research reveals that almost one in five Scots believe a woman is partially to blame for being raped if she is wearing revealing clothing - a survey of 1,040 Scots carried out by Cello MRUK in February 2010 for the Scottish Government found that:

•23 per cent thinka woman can be at least partly responsible if she is drunk at the time of the attack

•17 per centthought that a woman bore some responsibility if she wore revealing clothing

•15 per cent say there should be some burden of responsibility for rape if the women is flirting

•8 per cent think rape can be the woman's fault if she is known to have had many sexual partners

These attitudes can make it difficult for women to speak out about being raped, because of fear of being blamed for what has happened.There are also significant concerns about the impact these attitudes might have on rape survivors’ ability to access justice, in terms of attitudes which jury members might hold.

Although many people genuinely believe they wouldn’t judge a rape victim by what they wear, how drunk they were, or if they had been flirting all night, they often actually do; particularly when sitting as a juror in court. Not Ever wants to prompt people to keep their judgments in check and to remember that there’s only one person who is responsible for rape and it’s not the victim. It doesn’t matter what you wear, how many sexual partners you’ve had, or if you’re out getting drunk with friends - no one deserves to be raped - ever.

A new campaign website has been set up to allow people to share their thoughts and seek support at www.notever.co.uk , and people can also show support for Not Ever on the campaign’s Facebook page at http://bit.ly/blMIu2 .

There is also a Not Ever Twitter stream: @Not_Ever to keep people updated with the progress of the campaign.

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