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International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women '21
This blog is dedicated to the women of the Survivor Reference Group who so powerfully shared their stories in the Scottish Parliament yesterday. Thank you for your courage and determination. Your belief in a better world is inspiring.
Today is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and marks the start of 16 Days of Action. It’s been a year like no other, a year that feels as though it has both flown past and dragged and one where our collective resilience has been tested like never before.
It’s been a hard year for most of us, an impossible one for many, and whilst the impacts of Covid continue to be acutely felt the launch of yet another 16 Days of Action invites reflection.
It’s been a painful year for survivors of sexual violence and abuse. At times the public conversation has felt more like an onslaught with relentless coverage of violence and abuse. The tragic murders of Sabina Nessa, Sarah Everard and Esther Brown sparked nationwide conversations about women’s safety and our right to live free from the constant fear and threat of sexual violence. Survivors have spoken bravely and powerfully about their experiences and called for change.
"It was a feeling of being exactly where I needed to be" - C's Story
A few years ago at a check-up in her doctor’s surgery, C was handed a leaflet about support services for survivors of sexual violence. At the time, C had never heard of Rape Crisis and was surprised to hear the nurse talk about how common these services were.
“I always felt like I was walking about with this massive sign on my head that just said, ‘I've been raped’ and then it struck me how many other people must be feeling that too.”
C had never told anyone about what she had been through as a teenager but she wondered then that it was time to get in touch. Like so many survivors reaching out for support, this wasn’t an easy thing to do.
‘It’s that first really big intimidating step, the fear of the words coming out of my mouth was like admitting to myself what had happened when I hadn’t ever told anyone before, and it was really scary”.
Eventually, C picked up the phone. She was able to attend a drop-in session at her local Rape Crisis the same day, where she knew immediately that she had made the right decision.
“I came in and just instantly felt the comfort, like the feeling of walking into that building and just the atmosphere, the décor, it makes it feel like a nice warm cup of tea or like a gran’s hug.”
End Not Proven
Two weeks ago we launched our Holyrood asks: 6 actions we want candidates and parties to commit to that would improve the landscape for survivors of sexual violence in Scotland.
All of these asks are critical – but today we want to talk about just one: End Not Proven.
Uniquely, Scotland has three verdicts – Guilty, Not Guilty and Not Proven. Not Guilty and Not Proven have the same impact – they are both acquittals, and there are no legal consequences for the accused if they get a Not Proven verdict.
But why does it need to go?
Firstly, the Not Proven verdict is used disproportionately in rape and attempted rape cases. In 2018/19 40% of acquittals in rape and attempted rape cases were Not Proven, compared with 19% of all crimes and offences.
Reaching Out With Compassion
At Rape Crisis Scotland we spend a lot of our time calling for compassion. Usually this is from the institutions and organisations that respond to survivors directly – the Police, Crown Office and health services for example – but as necessary Covid 19 restrictions continue to dominate our lives there’s been a shift in the public conversation that needs a closer look.
Our work at Rape Crisis is rooted in decades of working with and understanding trauma, and we can say with certainty that this pandemic has tested our endurance in a way that few of us have experienced before.
It is understandable that, after almost a year of living in a state of heightened fear and anxiety, many of us are feeling tense and at the end of our tether. Recent calls to our helpline have indicated that many are feeling the strain of this more than ever before, but also that legitimate anger and frustration is boiling over and scalding those it touches, including survivors. Rather than being targeted at those institutions that are supposed to protect all of us, wrath is directed at young people, people taking public transport, meeting a friend for a coffee and a walk – as though this is not a vital lifeline for many in times of isolation - and people not wearing masks.
A Letter From A Survivor
Below is a letter - shared with the consent of a helpline caller - received by Rape Crisis Scotland, shared in the hope it may encourage others to reach out for support.
"Over the past wee while, I’ve reflected a lot on the conversations we’ve had and really want to express just how substantial your impact has been.
I often wonder if things would be different, more so easier now, had I sought out support earlier. I don’t think I was in the right headspace to address what had happened though. Past reactions had been so negative that my perception, surrounding these experiences, was distorted. An unhelpful narrative had been set, making trusting others, even those with good intentions, impossible. Strangely, in spite of the many challenges lockdown has brought, I believe now was the right time for me to finally reach out.
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