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Victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse will continue to have access to round-the-clock confidential support after the Ministry of Justice awarded £8.7 million in funding to Rape Crisis England & Wales.
The funding will enable the organisation to continue operating the 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line, which provides free, trauma-informed emotional and listening support to victims and survivors aged 16 and over across England and Wales.
Since its launch in 2022, the service has supported survivors through more than 200,000 telephone calls and 75,000 webchats, according to the Ministry of Justice.
The new funding will also support further development of the service, including the introduction of British Sign Language interpretation and dedicated support for survivors with different needs. Helpline specialists can also direct callers towards longer-term support services, including those who have not previously disclosed the abuse or assault.
Alex Davies-Jones, Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, said the Government wanted to ensure that those affected by rape and sexual assault knew where they could turn for support.
She said: “I’ve heard far too many devastating stories from traumatised survivors of rape and sexual assault who felt lost or unsure where to turn for support.
“I want to say to everyone affected by one of these horrendous crimes, the Rape Crisis helpline team is always there – to listen to you, believe you and answer your questions.”
Ciara Bergman, chief executive of Rape Crisis England & Wales, said the funding would allow the organisation to continue providing specialist and confidential support to thousands of survivors.
She said the level of demand for the service demonstrated the importance of ensuring that survivors could access support whenever they were ready to seek help, regardless of who they were or when the abuse had occurred.
The announcement forms part of the Government's wider programme of support for victims and its commitment to halve violence against women and girls. The Ministry of Justice said the Government is investing £550 million over the next three years in specialist services providing practical and emotional support to victims and witnesses, including counselling and advice on attending court.
The Government also highlighted recent changes to planned sentencing reforms, under which rape, certain child sexual offences and other grooming offences have been excluded from changes to prison release arrangements.
The new grant funding will run from 1 October 2026 – 30 September 2029
