Closed petition Reduce waiting times for domestic abuse and sexual assault counselling services.

Closed on 16 February 2017

The waiting list for counselling services following sexual assault or abuse is usually around 4 months for an assessment alone. Rape Crisis centres are experiencing more and more requests for support. Nearly a million people are raped every year, but in the last few years have had their funding cut.

Sexual assault and abuse are often seen as taboo and not spoken about. Many survivors suffer in silence, unable to get the help they need to recover. These types of crimes have the lowest conviction rates making survivors unable to speak up.

In my own and friends' experiences, people with PTSD are often turned away from most mental health services, including the NHS. Most of the UK do not have access to a Rape Crisis centre. This needs to change.

http://rapecrisis.org.uk/statistics.php