Ciara CEO of Rape Crisis England & Wales

Exactly this - thank you Purna

There’s no chance of measuring or addressing #vawg properly this way.
Narrowing the scope of the #strategy may make it easier for government but it won’t deliver on the pledge to #women to halve VAWG.
🙏🏽 to @ciarabergman.bsky.social
Andrea @evawuk.bsky.social
& #survivor -advocates for speaking

Statement on UK Government Funding Announcement : Welsh Women's Aid The UK Government has today announced that £53 million will be allocated over the next 4 years towards addressing domestic abuse perpetrators that ‘pose the highest risk’. Welsh Women’s Aid are concer...

The UK Government has today announced that £53 million will be allocated over the next 4 years towards addressing domestic abuse perpetrators that ‘pose the highest risk’.

welshwomensaid.org.uk/news/stateme...

We support and feel that it is important to share Rape Crisis England and Wales
position on self-swab kits.

Survivors deserve specialist, safe, and trauma-informed care, not kits that risk offering false hope.

Read our full statement rctn.org.uk/self-swab-ki...
#SupportSurvivors

When Support Matters Most: Why Self-Swab ‘Rape Kits’ Aren’t the Answer At The Eddystone Trust, we work with people across the South West who are affected by sexual health inequalities and trauma, and we want to say this loud and clear: if you’ve experienced rape or sexua...

Last week, we saw a statement from Rape Crisis England & Wales about the growing use of self-swab rape kits, alongside further information from our colleagues at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Devon Sexual Health.

eddystone.org.uk/blogs/news-f...

📰 Have a read of our report on Bristol's new self-administered rape test kits.

Are self-swab kits ‘the start of the end of sexual violence’, or could they cause more harm than good?

Article by @laurabutler.bsky.social.

DIY testing could put rape survivors 'at risk', experts say Forensic and legal experts say self-swab DNA kits are unlikely to be allowed as evidence in court.

UK - Self-swab DNA testing could put rape survivors "at risk", experts say, w a lawyer adding he is "horrified" kits are being given out to students.

The kits allow ppl to take a swab at home & get it tested for the DNA of an alleged perpetrator & have the results stored www.bbc.com/news/article...

@Independent: Self-swab ‘rape kits’ being marketed at students a ‘serious concern’ https://t.co/lu53wzYzYO

The Observer view on calls for a national inquiry into child sexual abuse The government’s most urgent priority is not to launch another review but to develop a societal strategy to tackle the crime

Argh just realised wrong link attached to that- here it is

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Letter to Prime Minister outlining impact of national insurance increases and cut in funding on victims.

Proud to stand with sector colleagues today to stand up for victims and funding of services. Full letter here: rapecrisis.org.uk/news/joint-l...

Rape Crisis England & Wales, Victim Support, Welsh Women’s Aid, Imkaan and Women’s Aid Federation England have jointly written to the Prime Minister - the survival of victim and survivor services is essential:

Such an important article - thanks so much to the Victims’ Commissioner.

MPs vote against charity exemptions from employer National Insurance increase A number of amendments were tabled that would have reduced the burden of the increase on the voluntary sector but they were rejected by the House of Commons

Absolutely get idea that exemptions can’t be made piecemeal for everyone who asks. But this is a major issue for us so I dread to think what small charities face. And it may show the sector wasn’t considered at policy stage - which would be sadly typical www.thirdsector.co.uk/mps-vote-aga...

How beautiful

I spent yesterday campaigning against cuts to victims’ services. Court backlogs are longer than ever. Cutting victims’ services is not the right way to get the criminal justice system back on its feet. This decision is devastating and must be reversed.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

We’ve seen a groundswell of support for ending rape culture & holding perps to account thx to #GiselePelicot but w/out services to support them, survivors won’t have the support they need to make disclosures in the first place & pursue criminal justice @rapecrisis.bsky.social
t.co/1VBoG3AFdR

‘All the women on earth feel you, thank you Gisèle’ 💜

Shame must change sides.

This really is a step in the right direction.

How many rape cases are derailed by ‘sexsomnia’ claims? The CPS doesn’t know Despite pledge to challenge claims, the prosecutions agency is not tracking how many cases it has dropped

How many rape cases are derailed by ‘sexsomnia’ claims? The CPS doesn’t know. Despite pledge to challenge claims, they are not tracking how many cases it has dropped. Grateful to Shanti for continuing to shine a light on this topic and for the chance to contribute.

www.google.com/amp/s/amp.th...

So heartened by this solidarity, @katiekempenvs.bsky.social - together we will continue to ensure that victims voices are heard and push for them to be able to access the services they need

Continuing our calls for the reversal of cuts to victims’ funding today. Our colleague @ciarabergman.bsky.social CEO of @rapecrisis.bsky.social has written eloquently about her worries and how victims will suffer: rapecrisis.org.uk/news/our-ceo...

Today, @rapecrisis.bsky.social CEO @ciarabergman.bsky.social has publicly and directly criticised the total absence of the sexual violence reduction - or any VAWG mission related mention - in the PMs milestones speech & the real term cut in victim services funding. rapecrisis.org.uk/news/our-ceo...

Our estimate on the cost of employer national insurance contribution increases has made its way to the commons floor.

While increases won’t come into force until next year, charities are already having to make big decisions to prepare. Ultimately that means less services for communities in need.

So good to see this; @samsmethers.bsky.social was fantastic on Woman’s Hour about economic abuse faced by survivors esp through banking

We continue to support @rapecrisis.bsky.social and their wider work to influence change.

Their recent report with #SmallButVital Imkaan seeks to give voice to asylum-seeking women who have endured sexual violence and abuse.

rapecrisis.org.uk/get-informed...

#16DaysOfActivism

The Observer view on the disturbing prevalence of child sexual abuse in the home | Observer editorial The idea of children being abused within their family is too upsetting for adults to contemplate. But we must

Today’s Observer editorial on a new report on inter-familial child sexual abuse. Far too little coverage of it in a week dominated by assisted dying; easier for adults to look away than confront just how badly the state and society is failing these children.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Fraction of domestic violence cases result in conviction, ONS says A pilot for tougher domestic violence orders is announced - but charities warn police must act on them.

Fewer than HALF of domestic abuse cases are recorded as crimes, and most don’t lead to prosecution.

This comes as the govt’s new pilot of DAPNs and DAPOs aims to improve protections. Yet given DVPOs were used in 1% of cases, all signs point to wholesale change in policing need for this to succeed.

😂

#FF throwback!! Excellent.

Domestic violence ‘normalised’ in some sections of society, says women’s centre CEO We spoke to Benaifer Bhandari, the CEO of Hopscotch Women's Centre, a charity offering support services for women impacted by racial and gender inequality as well as domestic abuse.

"There's a sense of shame, and that option just isn't there to go back."

Women's centre CEO Benaifer Bhandari tells Ciaran Jenkins it's crucial women who've recently entered the UK can find the right support if a partner is being abusive.

Read and watch:
www.channel4.com/news/domesti...