Sexual violence victims in UK forced to wait years for counselling and support | Rape and sexual assault

Victims of sexual violence in England and Wales are facing waits of up to two and a half years for counselling, help with the legal system and trauma therapy, according to figures obtained by the Observer.

Getting help is becoming harder, with average waiting times rising by as much as eight months in the last three years depending on where in the country the services are. The average increase across all services is 63% since 2020, according to responses from 34 out of all 41 police and crime commissioners (PCCs) to a freedom of information request (FoI) by the Observer.

Samantha waited 18 months for counselling in London after she was sexually assaulted. “The incredibly long waiting times really affect you emotionally. There’s no help when you need it in that moment,” she said.

Victims on waiting lists for counselling experience the biggest increase in delays, with three-quarters of the local charities that responded reporting a rise in the last three years. The wait for one charity in Nottinghamshire went from an average of 218 days in 2020 to 457 days last year.

“It really made me feel like there just isn’t any help,” Samantha said. “You have this experience which is really difficult, really traumatic, and then you’re just left to deal with things on your own.”

Victims are also finding it harder to get legal help. Waiting times for independent sexual violence advocates (ISVAs), who help with the legal process, have risen by an average of almost two-thirds, according to figures obtained by the Observer.

“I had absolutely no support for the legal process,” said Emily, who tried to get help once she’d moved to London after having been raped. “I know you can get an ISVA from places like Rape Crisis, but by the time I contacted them the waiting list was three years. I had no one to help me prepare for what would be involved or expected from me.

Then I moved to another city and signed up at the Rape Crisis centre there. Again the waiting list was over two years.”

Where victims live can make a huge difference to how soon they get help. Last year, waiting times for counselling ranged from 15 days in Hampshire to 730 days over the border in Surrey.

The government says the victims and prisoners bill, which is currently going through parliament, will mean that victims of sexual offences will have a right to access these services by law. But the government has not committed to any new funding in the bill to make this a reality for victims.

While government funding for sexual violence services has increased since 2020, MPs and organisations say it is still not enough. When divided by the number of people who need the services, it is barely enough to pay counsellors, advocates or therapists a minimum hourly wage.

According to Ministry of Justice (MOJ) figures, the funding pot for ISVAs was £34m last year, which is shared with advocates for victims of domestic abuse. There are 1.1 million victims of sexual violence and 2.4 million victims of domestic abuse a year, based on the latest survey by the Office for National Statistics, with a crossover of about 12.9% between the two – 3 million individuals in total. Last year’s funding pot thus amounted to approximately £11 per person. For all non-ISVA services, like counselling and trauma therapy, the MOJ last year gave PCCs about £22.3m, or about £7.40 per person.

Erica Marks, CEO of a sexual violence charity based in London and Manchester, said that about 20% of the people on their waiting list for counselling want to take their own life. “When you are dealing with a large number of trauma clients without the resources,” she said, “the harsh reality is that at any time anybody could slip through the net and take their own life.”

An MOJ spokesperson said: “We are quadrupling victim support funding compared to 2010 levels, spending at least £460m over the three years to March 2025.

“Our new victims and prisoners bill sets out a clear expectation of the support and information victims should receive, putting their voices at the heart of the justice system and improving their experience at every stage.”

Jayne Butler, chief executive of Rape Crisis, said: “In recent years, we have seen unprecedented levels of need and demand for these specialist services, meaning many victims and survivors are facing long waiting lists for support. There are currently 14,000 people on Rape Crisis waiting lists.

“It is clear that the funding model is insufficient and that long-term, sustainable funding is more urgently needed than ever. This is why we’ve been calling for the new bill to include a national multi-year ringfenced fund to support specialist sexual violence services and make sure that victims and survivors can access the help they need to recover.”