Specialist services must be freely available to survivors of sexual violence

Caroline Forde looks at how specialist services can help survivors of sexual violence work through the traumatic consequences at their own pace, and argues that such services must be freely available to all.

AS I walked up the stairs of the Rape Crisis Centre (RCC), I was struck by the poems and paintings that hung on the wall. For these are not merely artworks. They not only capture the beauty and tragedy of life; these poems and paintings are a testament to the vital work that takes place behind closed doors.

For that is the nature of RCC confidential support services. It is also the nature of sexual violence — an issue that continues to be shrouded in secrecy and stigma. And yet, sexual violence has been recognised as one of the most frequent forms of trauma worldwide.