The government has awarded £8.7 million in funding to support the continuation of a 24-hour helpline providing assistance to victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse.
The funding will come from a wider £550 million package for victim and witness support services and will provide financial support for the helpline for three years from 1 October.
The Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line, operated by Rape Crisis, was launched in 2022. Since opening, the service has handled more than 200,000 calls and 75,000 webchats from people seeking support.
The new funding will allow the charity to continue operating the service around the clock while expanding the support available to survivors with different needs. This will include the introduction of British Sign Language interpretation.
The Ministry of Justice said the funding demonstrates the government’s commitment to tackling rape and sexual abuse and ensuring victims can access appropriate support.
Victims minister Alex Davies-Jones said the government had heard accounts from survivors who had been left traumatised and uncertain about where to seek help following rape and sexual assault.
She said the Rape Crisis helpline provides a service where survivors can receive support, have their experiences heard and obtain answers to their questions.
The announcement comes as wider debate continues over the government’s plans to release thousands of prisoners early. The Ministry of Justice highlighted that rape offences, certain child sexual offences and other grooming offences have been excluded from the early release scheme.
The continued funding of the helpline is intended to ensure that victims and survivors can access specialist support at any time, including those who may require additional assistance because of their individual circumstances.
