Thursday 5 July 2007
Many victims of sexual assault are not receiving proper care
An article published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine highlights that many victims of sexual assault in the UK are still not receiving the treatment they require.
Beata Cybulska, a specialist in forensic gynaecology and author of the article, argues that despite Home Office recommendations, rape victims in the UK – particularly those living in rural areas - do not have access to the specialist centres and adequately-trained professionals they urgently need.
“At the time of researching this article there were 13 Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) in the UK, mostly in urban areas; including three in London, offering a model of service promoted by the Home Office as the gold standard. A SARC offers a dedicated service that addresses the forensic, evidential and aftercare needs of victims of sexual violence 15,” writes Beata Cybulska.
Another model of service is offered by non-SARC’s and relies on dedicated forensic physicians carrying out forensic examinations independently, at the request of the police, in police stations.
A recently published survey of SARC and non-SARC centres showed a disproportion in service provision, with the non-SARC services “not offering forensic examination without police involvement, not having enough specially trained doctors to offer a 24-hour service and very rarely offering screening for STI’s or prophylactic treatment 16,” writes the author.
In 2002 the Home Office established The Rape Action Plan, putting forward recommendations and suggestions to the police and Crown Prosecution Service on how victims of sexual violence should be treated.
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Sexual assault: key issues [PDF 52k]
‘Sexual assault: key issues’ is published in the July issue (Vol.100) of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.
JRSM is the flagship journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. It has been published continuously since 1809. Its Editor is Dr Kamran Abbasi.
The article is available free at www.jrsm.org.
Beata Cybulska is available for comment.
15 Sexual Assualt Referral Centres: Gettings Started. London: Association of Chief Police Officers, 2005. Available at http.//police.homeoffice.gov.uk/operational-policing/crime-disorder/sexual-offences?version=5
16 Pillai M, Paul S. Facilities for complaints of sexual assault throughout the United Kingdom. J Clin Forensic Med 2006;13;164-71.
