Tag: rape

Funding to support rape and domestic abuse victims

Scottish Government investment to fund vital services

Victims of sexual violence and domestic abuse will be able to access support quicker thanks to an additional £2 million of funding from the Scottish Government.

The funding will go to Rape Crisis Scotland and Scottish Women’s Aid so they can reduce their waiting lists for women who need support services, including refuge places and counselling. Last year, both organisations supported more than 27,000 women and girls, but demand for their services has grown.

The £2 million for 2024-25 is in addition to £19 million annual funding the Scottish Government provides to support women with experience of violence through our Delivering Equally Safe fund.  

Victims and Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown said:  “Violence against women and girls is abhorrent and these frontline services provide much needed support to victims and survivors.

“We recognise the vital work that women’s aids and rape crisis centres do day in, day out to support women, girls and families. Demand for these services is increasing, which is why we are providing record funding, investing an additional £2 million to help with immediate need. This is in addition to funding received through our Delivering Equally Safe Fund.

“Alongside supporting those impacted, we are committed to tackling violence against women and girls, and addressing the underlying attitudes and systems that perpetuate it through our Equally Safe Strategy. It is this that needs to change to eradicate the violence too many experience.”

Rape Crisis Scotland Chief Executive Sandy Brindley said: “We are delighted that funding has been extended for 10 of our member centres who were facing the most significant issues with waiting lists.

“This funding will help Rape Crisis Centres across Scotland to continue to provide specialist support to survivors of sexual violence that can be truly lifesaving.  

“Demand for Rape Crisis support is ever-growing, and it is vital that when survivors reach out for support, they are able to receive it when they need it, not weeks or months later.” 

Scottish Women’s Aid Chief Executive Marsha Scott said: “This is such welcome news. In this time of rising costs and rising demand, Women’s Aid services in Scotland have never been stretched thinner, and children and women needing support should never have to sit on a waiting list.   

“We are grateful not only that the fund has been extended until the end of the next financial year but that the Scottish Government has responded to concerns about inflation and mounting pressure on staff who work so hard to provide sometimes life-saving services.” 

 The total grant value is £2,077,703 

  • Rape Crisis Scotland – £1,167,000 
  • Scottish Women’s Aid – £910,703 

Man found guilty of sexual offences in Edinburgh

Detectives in Edinburgh have acknowledged the conviction of George Anthony McClure Newby for sexual offences, including rape.

The 32-year-old was been found guilty following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday (26 August, 2022).

Newby was convicted of serious sexual crimes against two women in the Edinburgh area in 2020 and 2021.

Detective Inspector McArthur-Kerr of the Edinburgh Public Protection Unit said: “George Newby is a predatory and dangerous man who committed horrendous crimes against his two victims.

“It is thanks to the courage of the women who came forward that he has been now been found guilty of these crimes and the cruelty of his behaviour has been exposed.

“I would like to commend them in their bravery throughout this investigation and trial. Hopefully the verdict today will help them moving forward.”

SARCS: Rape and sexual assault support service launched

Improving healthcare choices and support

A marketing campaign has been launched to ensure people know about a dedicated national NHS service that offers choices in healthcare, forensic examination and support after a rape or sexual assault.

The national service, which is to be implemented across all health boards, will allow those aged 16 and over to self-refer for a forensic health examination at a Sexual Assault Response Coordination Service (SARCS), whether or not they wish to report to the police.

Funding of £11.7 million has been invested by the Scottish Government alongside the unanimous passing of Forensic Medical Services Act 2021 by Parliament. This money has gone towards creating healthcare facilities for examinations across all health boards, to recruit more specialist staff and set up a single point of contact for self-referral through NHS 24.

The campaign which will run across digital channels and outdoor advertising sites encourages people who have experienced a sexual crime to visit the NHS Inform website for information to help them decide the best next step for them.

Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sir Gregor Smith said: “It is very important that everyone knows about this service and while I hope that people will never need to use it, for those that do, knowing where to turn for support and information is a vital part of giving them back control.

“This legislation marks an important step in ensuring that those who have experienced a sexual assault have access to healthcare and support, even if they don’t feel ready to report it to the police.

“The campaign will be running over the next few months to raise awareness of the Sexual Assault Response Coordination Service (SARCS), to help improve the experience of those who have suffered a sexual crime.”

Jennifer Wilson, Nurse Director for NHS Ayrshire & Arran added: “Improving healthcare services for victims of sexual offences is a priority for NHS Ayrshire & Arran.

“We are committed to the Taskforce vision of consistent, person-centred, trauma-informed healthcare and forensic medical services and access to recovery, for anyone who has experienced rape or sexual assault in Scotland.

“With the launch of the FMS Act and the National Self-Referral Service we can now offer local services to victims of sexual assault who require a Forensic Medical Examination (FME) and who do not wish to, or are not yet ready to report this to the Police.

“This is a vital part of improving services for victims of sexual assault and making sure that timely healthcare support, including a forensic medical examination, is available to victims of rape and sexual assault in a way that is sensitive, compassionate and reduces the risk of any re-traumatisation.”

Sandy Brindley, Chief Executive of Rape Crisis Scotland said: “This is a huge step forward in improving responses to rape in Scotland. Immediately following rape or sexual assault can be a really difficult time to make a decision about whether to report what has happened to the police, but there are time limits involved in being able to capture forensic evidence.

“Self-referral means that if someone doesn’t feel ready to make the decision about reporting they can ensure all the evidence is captured and make the decision when they are ready.”

Amazon boost for women’s charity

A Glasgow charity that supports vulnerable young women has received a £2,000 donation from Amazon Development Centre Scotland in Edinburgh.

SAY Women offers safe, semi-supported accommodation and emotional support for young women aged 16 to 25 who are survivors of sexual abuse, rape or sexual assault. The charity also supports women who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. 

The charity allocates tenants a key worker who provides practical and emotional support through a care plan system. This donation will go towards a winter package for young women with some fuel and food vouchers.

Amazon previously supported the charity with a donation earlier this year. 

Graeme Smith, Managing Director at Amazon Development Centre Scotland, said: “SAY Women is a great charity offering vital services in to the Glasgow community.

“The staff and volunteers go that extra mile to ensure the safety of young women and we hope this donation will help the charity continue its services.”

Pam Hunter, CEO at SAY Women, said: “I would like to thank Graeme and the team for their continued support this year.

“It’s been a particularly difficult time for vulnerable women, so our services are needed more than ever. Thank you, Amazon.” 

Kaukab Stewart, Member of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow Kelvin, added: “I welcome this donation to SAY Women. As winter will be soon upon us, Amazon’s efforts will make a significant contribution to lifeline services for sexually-abused young women facing homelessness.

“I urge other corporations to join Amazon in supporting SAY Women.”

Amazon Development Centre Scotland has been based in Edinburgh since 2004 and is responsible for devising and growing innovations that bring new levels of choice and convenience to hundreds of millions of customers around the world. 

It houses teams of leading engineers, scientists, designers and product managers who work on everything from interactive user interface design to large-scale distributed systems and machine learning. 

Community donations are one of a number of ways in which Amazon is supporting communities across the UK during COVID-19. 

Throughout the pandemic Amazon has provided disadvantaged students with free online STEM resources and supported virtual classrooms with no-cost resources from AWS and Amazon Future Engineer.

The company has also teamed up with charity partner Magic Breakfast to deliver more than four million healthy breakfasts to children at risk of hunger in disadvantaged areas around the UK.

For more information on how Amazon is supporting the UK during COVID-19, click: https://blog.aboutamazon.co.uk/amazons-actions-to-help-employees-communities-and-customers-affected-by-covid-19. 

‘The person you least suspect’

Police are looking for ‘the person you least suspect’ after linking two attacks on young women in the South West of Edinburgh over five years ago.

On Thursday, 27 August, 2015, a 19-year-old woman got off a bus in Lanark Road West shortly after midnight.

A man approached her in the Newmills Road area and claimed he had a knife. He then led her to a nearby field, where she was raped.

Just over three weeks before on Wednesday, 5 August, 2015, a 21-year-old woman was grabbed from behind and sexually assaulted in Craiglockhart Quadrant.

She got off a bus in Colinton Road shortly before the attack around 10.30pm. The man responsible had not been on either bus. 

DNA advancements have enabled investigators to establish that both attacks were carried out by the same person. Police have a full DNA profile for the man responsible but need the public’s help to find him.

Detectives are asking people to think back to August, 2015. At that time, Edinburgh’s Festival Fringe was taking place. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo’s theme was East Meets West and marked the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

Detective Inspector Jon Pleasance of Edinburgh Police Division said: “We believe we’re looking for the person you’d least suspect; someone whose community wouldn’t think is responsible for such horrific offences.

“We’re asking everyone, please think back to the summer of 2015. Was there someone in your life – a friend, family member or colleague – acting different? Was their behaviour around this time at all unusual for them?

“Don’t dismiss your concerns, no matter how small they seem. We have a full DNA profile of the person responsible and so can quickly and completely rule people out. Help us find who did this.”

Those with information can contact Police Scotland via 101 quoting incident number 0770 of 1 March, 2021, or pass tips anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.