The Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, has reaffirmed to victims that they don’t have to report to get support from the range of commissioned services that she funds. The news comes during Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week, a national week of action from 5th-11th February 2024 that brings organisations and communities together to highlight the support available and to raise awareness. PCC Donna Jones has said:
“This week is about highlighting the cause, making sure that victims of sexual abuse and sexual violence know that they’re not alone. “Reporting a crime to the police and pursing a criminal justice outcome isn’t the right course of action for all victims. Some victims decide getting the support they need is the first or only step needed when they’re feeling at their most vulnerable.”
The Police and Crime Commissioner has invested millions of pounds of funding for a range of support services aimed at supporting victims of sexual violence and abuse across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. It includes nearly £4.8million over a 5-and-a-half-year period for the combined Frankie Worker Service and an all-age Sexual Crime Therapeutic Service. The Frankie Worker Service involves one-to-one therapeutic counselling and play therapy support to children and young people aged 0-18 years who are victims of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation or female genital mutilation. The all-age Sexual Crime Therapeutic Service provides a telephone helpline, therapeutic support and activities to help adults, children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse, assault and rape at any time in their lives. The Police Commissioner also provides funding for Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) to guide victims and their families through the criminal justice system and ensure people get the counselling needed. Other support services provided by the Police and Crime Commissioner include support for victims of domestic abuse, stalking, and the Restorative Justice service which empowers victims to hold their offenders to account. Victims do not need to report to the police to access this support. More information can be found at https://www.hampshire-pcc.gov.uk/victim-and-witness-support.
