Rape Crisis England & Wales awarded £8.7m for round-the-clock support

The full picture

Rape Crisis England & Wales is a non-profit organization that provides round-the-clock emotional and listening support to victims of rape and sexual abuse. The Ministry of Justice recently awarded them £8.7 million to sustain their service, which has received over 200,000 calls since its launch in 2022.

The Ministry of Justice has awarded Rape Crisis England & Wales £8.7 million to continue its round-the-clock Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line, the UK Government announced. The service remains available 24 hours a day, although the source does not provide the announcement date or specify the funding period.[1] The free helpline provides confidential emotional and listening support to victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse who are aged 16 or over. The Government describes the service as specialist and trauma-informed, meaning its support is intended to respond sensitively to the effects of traumatic experiences.[1] People can seek support through calls and webchats. Since the service launched in 2022, it has handled more than 200,000 calls and 75,000 webchats, according to the Government. Those figures describe contacts with the service rather than a stated number of individual users.[1] Rape Crisis England & Wales will receive the award to continue operating the support line. The source identifies the Ministry of Justice as the department that announced the funding and describes the award as part of the Government’s work to support victims of sexual violence.[1] The funding also forms part of the Government’s stated commitment to halve violence against women and girls and secure swifter justice for victims. The evidence provided does not set out a timetable for those wider objectives or explain how progress towards them will be measured.[1] For people seeking help, the confirmed practical details are that the service is free, confidential, available around the clock and open to victims and survivors aged 16 and over. The source does not provide contact details, eligibility information for younger people or guidance about other services.[1] The next confirmed development is the continuation of the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line using the £8.7 million award. The supplied evidence does not establish when the grant begins or ends, whether service capacity will change, or when the Government will publish further performance figures.[1]

Why now?

The Ministry of Justice has announced a £8.7 million award so Rape Crisis England & Wales can continue operating the support line.[1] The funding is linked to the Government’s stated commitment to halve violence against women and girls and ensure swifter justice for victims.[1]