Rape centres crisis

Your leader (March 31) was spot on in its analysis of the causes of appallingly low rape conviction rates, but it is not true that there are more rape crisis centres now; in fact there are less, and so a decrease in the specialist services for rape survivors.

While rape crisis centres provide ongoing support and counselling to women for many years after the attack, the statutory sexual assault referral centres set up in the last three years provide support and collect evidence directly after the rape happens.

While the centres are an improvement to the criminal justice system, collecting evidence in a more humane setting, they do not provide ongoing specialist and independent services in a women-only setting.

Rape crisis centres in the women's voluntary and community sector are decreasing and those left are finding it increasingly difficult to fund their important services. What messages are we giving to perpetrators and survivors alike?
Director, Women's Resource Centre