RAPE CRISIS
ENGLAND & WALES
MISSION STATEMENT
Rape Crisis England & Wales (RCEW) is the national campaigns and membership body for a network of independent, community-based centres providing specialist advocacy and support to women and girls affected by rape and sexual abuse.
Our shared vision is for a world without sexual violence, in which all women and girls can live safely, freely and with dignity. To achieve this, want to break the silence that facilitates male violence, and ensure that each individual survivor’s rape crisis is considered alongside the broader national and collective one.
Together with our members, we campaign for practice and policy improvements in responses to rape, and for specialist, quality-assured support and advocacy to be available to survivors throughout England & Wales.
MORE ABOUT RAPE CRISIS
Whilst we may never really know the full extent of rape and sexual abuse, it remains devastatingly common across the life course for women and girls. In England & Wales alone:
Someone is raped every 3 and a half minutes, and a woman is subjected to actual or attempted sexual assault every 40 seconds.
500,000 children are estimated to be sexually abused each year, and nearly 1 in 4 rapes recorded by the police are of girls under the age of 16.
Despite this:
Court backlogs are at an all-time high, with the average length of time a survivor of rape or sexual abuse will wait before their case reaches court, if ever, being two years.
Fewer than 3 in 100 rapes recorded by police between 1 October 2023 and 30 September 2024 resulted in someone being charged that same year, let alone convicted.
14,000 survivors are waiting for support from Rape Crisis centres.
That’s why our work is needed now more than ever.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
There are many ways you can support us to raise awareness of rape and sexual abuse and push for policy, practice and societal changes in how we respond to it.
Donate to Rape Crisis
Your donation will support us to fight for systems change, to raise awareness of the prevalence and impact of sexual violence and abuse, and to make sure that specialist support is available to victims and survivors whenever they need it.
Join a community of like-minded people all fighting for a future free from rape, child sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment and all other forms of sexual violence.
Support Rape Crisis’ Campaigns
Help us work towards a fairer criminal justice system for victims and survivors.
SUPPORT FOR SURVIVORS
If you’ve been affected by sexual violence or abuse, no matter when it happened or where you are, you can:
Contact our 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line and speak to one of our specialists – any time of the day or night.
Find a Rape Crisis centre. Our 36 member Rape Crisis centres deliver free, local and specialist services to victims and survivors of all forms of sexual violence and abuse. (Please note there may be waiting lists).
Visit our website to find self-help tools and resources.