National week of awareness about sexual assault and violence begins today.
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Monday 6 February 2023 marks the start of the national week of awareness about sexual assault and violence, known as It’s Not Ok.
The campaign aims to reach people affected by these types of abuse and to access information about local services and the support, help and guidance available to them.
Leicestershire Police work with partner agencies as part of the Response to Sexual Violence (R2SV) group, the partners include Trade, Quetzal, First Step, Jasmine House and FreeVa who all provide bespoke support to people who have experienced sexual assault or violence in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
These services are available to adults and young people regardless of race, age, background or gender, whether or not the crimes are recent or historic or reported to the police.
Juniper Lodge is a Sexual Assault Referral Centre known as SARC. Leicestershire’s SARC Manager, Millie Gant, said: “A SARC is a safe place where options after a sexual assault are discussed. Every person contacting us is given the time and space to discuss what they want to, with no pressure to report to the police.
“How people choose to proceed is entirely up to them, our team will wholly support all decisions made. We know there are barriers which impact people choosing to come forward and we want to reassure those people that they will be treated non-judgementally.
“If you have been a victim of sexual abuse or violence or have concerns about a loved one, please know that the SARC team, support organisations and the police, are accessible to you for advice. This can be either by telephone or initially on-line if you feel it is too overwhelming to pick up the phone.”
Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews welcomed the campaign, adding: “Victims of crime are at the heart of everything we do. It is imperative that victims of rape and sexual violence have the confidence to come forward to seek support and justice. To help support people through the most traumatic of experiences, my office has allocated over £1.7m of funding for domestic abuse and sexual violence support services over the next couple of years.
“As a society and an organisation, I want to see more people coming forward to report offences and am pleased to see recent legislation designed to make investigations less invasive for victims. I sincerely hope that in time we will be able to gauge just how under-reported these truly abhorrent crimes so that prevention and support services can be targeted at those most at risk.”
Details for the R2SV partners are in the table below:
|
Organisation Name |
Specialism |
Contact Details |
|
Trade |
Are a health charity, supporting the LGBT+ community with their sexual and overall health needs and concerns |
0116 254 1747 |
|
First Step |
Work with male abuse survivors aged 13 and above |
0116 2548535 |
|
Quetzal |
Offer counselling and a helpline to women who have suffered sexual abuse as a child. |
0333 101 4280
|
|
Jasmine House, Leicester Rape Crisis |
Offer specialist counselling and support for females aged 13 and above that have suffered sexual violence or assault. |
Office line: 0116 255 5962 Helpline: 0116 255 8252 |
|
FreeVa |
Provide a dedicated helpline along with specialist support including access to an independent sexual violence advisor (ISVA) for males and females of any age, including children. |
Helpline: 0808 80 200 28 Text support: 07715 994 962
|
|
Juniper Lodge |
Is a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) that offers support, forensic medical facilities and advice, to anyone aged 18 years and above regardless of whether a report is made to the police.
|
0116 273 3330 |