'Too many sexual assault victims suffer in silence' (From The Argus)

'Too many sexual assault victims suffer in silence'

9:15am Thursday 8th March 2007 in

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Crime figures show the number of sexual offences reported to Sussex Police has fallen.

The news should be encouraging - but many sex crime victims are too terrified to report the offence to police.

Feelings of shame, fear of not being believed and concerns about facing their attacker in court are among the reasons many victims give for not approaching officers.

So, a fall in the number of reported crimes does not necessarily mean the number of sex attacks being committed has fallen.

There were 1,586 such crimes reported during the financial year 2005-06.

This was down from 1,690 the previous year - a fall of 104.

Regency ward in central Brighton had the highest number of offences, with more than one assault reported every week.

Elsewhere in Sussex, there were 41 reports in Devonshire ward, Eastbourne, and 30 in Central ward, Worthing.

Assaults were reported in 238 of the county's 268 wards.

Survivors' Network UK, based in Buckingham Road, Brighton, offers a confidential counselling service to thousands of women who have suffered sexual abuse.

But earlier this month, The Argus reported the network was battling against a funding shortage.

And the Brighton branch of national rape victim charity Rape Crisis closed in 2005 because of lack of money.

Survivors' Network project manager Janette Cosgrove said: "I would suggest the statistics show a drop because of a lack of services."

She blamed a "lack of understanding and compassion" within the police for preventing victims of sexual assault reporting incidents.

She said: "It's like being abused again. Victims are questioned and not believed.

"Our service users experience this right from day one of reporting abuse.

"I know there are some police who have been amazing to people.

"I am sure they are trying but there is a lack of skills and education."

Sussex charity Life Centre also helps survivors of sexual attacks.

It is run by Margaret Ellis, who said she had very positive experiences of working with police in rape and sexual assault cases.

She said: "Our experience of Sussex Police has been excellent.

"I would encourage and reassure anyone to report to the police."

Sussex Police has specially-trained officers who deal with sex crimes and "rape suites" designed for victims.

And a sexual assault referral centre is due to open at Crawley Hospital in March 2008.

The centre will provide a one-stop environment, where victims can receive emotional and physical support.

It will also have facilities to gather forensic evidence.

Chief Superintendent Russ Whitfield said the centre was one of many steps taken to help rape and sexual assault victims.

He said: "The whole thing about rape is trying to give victims the confidence to come forward and we are doing as much as any other force on rape investigations.

"The investigation side is a police matter but the causes are not.

"We have to work with councils to educate people about drink awareness.

"There's far more (education) linked into violent crime and alcohol but not about stopping yourself getting sexually assaulted."

He said Sussex Police could "fasttrack"

forensic samples in sex crime cases and added: "I don't think the victims of sexual assault have lost trust with the police but with the criminal justice system.

"In this country, crimes have to be proved beyond reasonable doubt for someone to be found guilty and in rape cases this can be difficult when it is one person's word against another."

Martin Sullivan is operational director of Mankind UK, an organisation in Newhaven that offers help and support to men who have been the victim of a sex attack.

He said: "The number of crimes reported is not an indication they are getting less.

"For the police it must be frustrating.

They prepare a case, which goes to the Criminal Prosecution Service, then, because of lack of evidence, it never reaches court. This discourages people from reporting in the first place.

"We are aware of the difficulties with people reporting. They often don't get the result they want."

False rape allegations do nothing to help the genuine victims.

In the past six months, two Sussex women have been found guilty of falsely accusing men of rape.

Last month, Sarah Mealing, of Brunswick Terrace, Hove, was found guilty of falsely accusing her former partner Graham Fuller.

And last year, St Leonards teenager Katie Davis, 18, was imprisoned for falsely accusing Frank Chisholm of rape.

A judge called her actions "wicked and evil".

Ms Ellis said false claims were one reason genuine victims worried about being believed.

She said: "I think there is a general anxiety about victims being believed but not just because of false rape allegations.

"I think it is more complex than that."

Chief Supt Whitfield said: "From the police point of view, everyone is believed until proved otherwise. When people make false accusations it is a waste of police time.

It undermines the whole system and does little to encourage people who have genuinely been raped or sexual assaulted."

For sex offence statistics, click here.