Sexual Violence

As a partnership we have joined forces with Basildon and Brentwoods Crime &Disorder Partnerships to tackle sexual violence. The group has membership from South Essex Rape & Incest Crisis Centre (SERICC), Victim Support, the Primary Care Trust, Essex Police, Essex probation, Local Authority Community Safety teams, and representatives from Thurrock’s Safeguarding Children Board and social services.

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Home Office Guidance

Home Office guidance for Local Partnerships on Tackling Sexual Violence

Sexual crimes have a devastating impact on victims, their families and friends, the local community, and the whole society.  Updated Guidance for Local Partnerships on Tackling Sexual Violence aims to demonstrate to Crime and Disorder Reduction and Community Safety partnerships that they have a crucial role to play in the prevention of these crimes, bringing perpetrators to justice, and providing services to victims.

Guidance for Local Partnerships on Tackling Sexual Violence 2006

Title Guidance for Local Partnerships on Tackling Sexual Violence 2006
Authors Home Office
Number of pages 60
Date published June 2006
Availability Tackling Sexual Violence: Guidance (external PDF)
[ see how to access PDF files ]

Home Office Sexual Violence Action Plan

Sexual Violence and Abuse Action Plan & Implementation Guide

On 2 April 2007, the Interdepartmental Ministerial Group on Sexual Offending published a cross-government Action Plan on Sexual Violence and Abuse. The purpose of the Action Plan is to:

  • Tell stakeholders and members of the public what the Home Office are seeking to achieve in relation to sexual violence and abuse
  • Identify the actions the Home Office are taking to deliver their objectives
  • Identify gaps in existing work which require further consideration
  • Increase transparency and enable us to be held to account on delivery of their objectives
  • Provide a platform for developing a more strategic and holistic approach to tackling sexual violence and abuse

The Action Plan is supported by an implementation guide, which sets out the roles and responsibilities of key delivery agencies and partnerships in delivering the objectives of the Action Plan. It also includes a background section which explains how sexual violence and abuse fits with national targets and local delivery agendas.

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Our Key Targets are to:

  • Raise awareness and understanding of sexual crime in all its forms
  • Increase the percentage of sexual crimes reported to the police
  • Increase detection rates for sexual crimes in Thurrock
  • Improve agency support for victims of sexual crime
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What do we aim to do?

Thurrock Community Safety Partnership has a crucial role to play in the prevention of these crimes, bringing perpetrators to justice, and providing services to victims. We aim to:

  • identify the nature and extent of sexual violence in our local area
  • identify key partners in the development of a sexual violence strategy
  • use 'best practice' case studies to develop practical initiatives to tackle various aspects of sexual violence in our area
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Further Information

South Essex Rape & Incest Crisis Centre

SERICC provide free and confidential face to face and telephone counselling, advocacy and support for women and girls who have experience sexual violence at any time of their life.

Telephone Helpline: 01375 380609
Wednesdays 10:00am - 12:00pm, Thursdays 12:00pm - 4:00pm, Saturdays 10:00am - 1:00pm Answerphone at all other times

Office Telephone: 01375 381322 (no telephone counselling via this number)

Web site: www.sericc.org.uk

Victim Support

Victim Support is an organisation set up to offer emotional support and practical advice to victims of crime, including domestic violence. The service offers:

  • Free and confidential advice
  • Trained volunteers to listen to you in a safe place
  • Practical advice about the steps you may wish to take
  • Support you in court, when necessary

Tel: 0845 4565 995

www.victimsupport.org.uk

Thurrock Social Services

Child protection procedures for children in Thurrock experiencing sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, female genital mutilation and forced marriage.

Child protection Procedures (external PDF)
[ see how to access PDF files ]

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What constitutes sexual violence?

Sexual crimes have a devastating impact on victims, their families and friends, the local community, and the whole society.

Key facts

  • 14,000 offences of rape are reported to the police each year
  • Only 15% of rapes are reported to the police
  • Of those rapes that are reported to the police, under 6% result in a conviction
  • Over half of all rapes are committed by current or former partners of the victim
  • Women have a greater fear of rape than any other crime
  • Over 90% of rapes are committed against women, though a small proportion of rape victims are men
  • Rape incurs a health-related cost of £73,437 per case
  • Overall cost to society of sexual offences in 2003-04 is estimated at £8.5 billion

In the year ending March 2005, the total number of sexual offences recorded by police in England and Wales was 60,900 - a 17% rise over the previous year (Source: Crime in England and Wales 2004/2005).

The Sexual Offences Act 2003 which established - for the first time - a clear definition and new responsibilities around consent. Put simply, rape and other sexual assaults are sexual acts carried out without the consent of one of the people involved. Consent means making an active decision to say yes, an assumption of consent is not enough.

Strengthening protection for adults and children

The Sexual Offences Act 2003, came into force in May 2004. It:

Clarified the law

  • 'consent' now has a legal definition - this makes it easier for juries to make fair and balanced decisions on the question of consent, and sends a clear signal to men that they can't make assumptions
  • the meaning of rape has been expanded to include oral penetration
  • children under 13 can now never legally consent to sexual activity

Created new offences

  • to help protect adults against 'date rape' drugs
  • protecting children from exposure to indecent text messages, and online and offline 'grooming' (communication with a child with an intention to meet and commit a sex offence)

Strengthened sentences

  • for exploitation through child prostitution and pornography, trafficking involving prostitution and indecent exposure

Stopped discrimination

  • all sexual offences now apply equally to males and females of any sexual orientation

Improved protection from known sex offenders

  • they'll be tracked more closely and those convicted of a sex offence overseas must register when they come to the UK

Improved protection for people with mental disorders

  • new offences, such as 'breach of a relationship of care', have been created to help protect some of the most vulnerable people in our society

Supporting victims and addressing the justice gap

Figures show an ongoing decline in the conviction rate for reported rape cases, reaching an all-time low of 5.6% in 2002 (Source: A gap or a chasm? Attrition in reported rape cases).

A gap or a chasm? Attrition in reported rape cases (external PDF)

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Reporting a sexual offence and getting support

If you have been the victim of a sexual offence you can:

Report it

There are a number of ways you can report a crime. You can also contact your local police force

Get support

To help you through this difficult time help and emotional support is available - contact your local Rape Crisis centre for counselling advice and support, or Victim Support on 0845 30 30 900, for support and practical help.

Get information on going to court

The Victims' Virtual Walkthrough on the Criminal Justice Online website is an interactive guide to each step in the justice process, from reporting a crime to going to court.

The publication, 'From Report to Court: A handbook for adult survivors of sexual violence' , tells you exactly what will happen when you report a sexual offence and go to court. You can view and order a copy of the guide from the Rights of Women website www.row.org.uk

Home Office and the Department of Heath

www.careandevidence.org

Care and Evidence Package for promoting effective care for and collection of best evidence from people who have been sexually assaulted. The website provides information and advice for professionals who may come into contact with victims of sexual assault.

Rights of Women

www.row.org.uk

Advice line: 020 7251 6577

(Open Tuesday-Thursday 2-4pm and 7-9pm, and Friday 12-2pm.)

Sexual violence legal advice line: 020 7251 8887

(Open Monday 11-1pm and Tuesday 10-12pm.)

Publications on women's rights, including 'From Report to Court - a Handbook for Adult Survivors of Sexual Violence', Rights of Women Child Contact Handbook, Domestic Violence DIY Injunction Handbook, information sheets on key issues of family law, and publications on key issues relating to women and the law.

Free information sheets to download

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Staying Safe

Staying safe is all about looking and listening around you, and knowing what you can do
to stay out of danger.

Remember The PLAN:

  • Prepare
  • Look confident
  • Avoid risks and be aware
  • Never take safety for granted

For more information visit www.met.police.uk/sapphire/sapphire_staysafe.htm

If you would like a personal attack alarm please contact the Community Safety Partnership on 01375 652301 or e-mail .

(Please note available to residents of Thurrock only)

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Sexual health

For information on Family Planning, Genito-Urinary Medicine , HIV/AIDS Care Team , Sexual Health Promotion , and Young Peoples Advisory Service Visit www.ruthinking.co.uk

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Useful Links to external Web Sites

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Reports

Home Office Report: Gap or Chasm?

A gap or a chasm? Attrition in reported rape cases (external PDF)
[ see how to access PDF files ]

This report documents the largest and most up to date study of attrition in reporting rape in the UK.

The study involved prospective tracking of 3,500 rape cases through the criminal justice system, supplemented by data from 228 complainants and 120 professionals.

The results show an ongoing decline in the conviction rate for reported rape cases, with Home Office figures reaching an all-time low of 5.6 per cent in 2002.

Three-quarters of the sample reported to the police. However, 80% of these cases did not proceed beyond the police stage due to a combination of no criming, evidential issues and victims withdrawing their support from the criminal justice process. Only a minority of cases reached the trial stage, and here an acquittal was the more likely outcome, especially with respect to adults. Alcohol was implicated in a high proportion of cases but drugs were involved in relatively few.

The extremely low conviction rate suggests there is a chasm between complainants' expectations of the criminal justice process and what it actually delivers. However, in identifying six attrition pints, and the issues associated with them, this study finds that attrition can be conceived of as a series of smaller gaps, each of which could be addressed through targeted interventions.

The Corston Report: a review of women with particular vulnerabilities in the criminal justice system

A report by Baroness Jean Corston of a review of women with particular vulnerabilities in the criminal justice system, outlining the need for a distinct radically different, visibly-led, strategic, proportionate, holistic, woman-centred, integrated approach.

Home Office Report: investigating and detecting recorded offences of rape

This report summarises the findings of a study of attrition in reported offences of rape of a female in England and Wales in 2003/04. It was designed to explore several aspects around the detection and conviction of rape cases: the reasons behind the decline in recorded detection rates for rape since 1997; why marked variations in detection rates exist in different forces; and what factors best predict whether a recorded offence gets to court and results in a conviction.

Female Genital Mutilation Summary Report

The Foundation for Women's Health, Research and Development (FORWARD) have produced a statistical study to estimate the prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation in England and Wales in 2007. More information is available at: www.forwarduk.org.uk/key-issues/fgm

Without Consent: HMCPSI and HMIC Thematic Report

In 2002, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) and Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) published a joint thematic inspection report on the investigation and prosecution of rape offences. The report made a total of 18 recommendations and three suggestions to improve the investigation of rape cases by the police. This review was conducted to assess progress against the recommendations and suggestions of the 2002 inspection.

From Report to Court - A handbook for adult survivors of sexual violence

Rights of Women is a women's voluntary organisation committed to informing, educating and empowering women concerning their legal rights. This extensive handbook published by Rights of Women provides a guide to Criminal Proceedings and Procedures in relation to Sexual Violence. Dealing with pre-court, reporting and prosecuting stages. For more information, visit: www.row.org.uk

Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 - call anonymously with information about crime.