Specialist rape unit in Cheshire aims to provide more victims with support. Carmella De Lucia reports
Of all the crimes present in society, one of the most shocking is rape and serious sexual assault.
At least 80,000 women suffer rape or attempted rape every year in the UK, according to the British Crime Survey, while reported cases of male rape appear to be on the increase.
In Cheshire the opening of a police rape unit, that consists of a centralised team which works in partnership with specialist groups, is aiming to educate society about the reality of rape and how it affects more people than many may realise.
Detective Inspector Debbie Dodd is heading the Winsford-based unit, which opened three months ago.
A police officer with more than 20 years of experience in Cheshire, she has been investigating rape for her entire service, and has seen first hand how issues surrounding the offence have evolved.
In the past sexual assaults in the county were dealt with by the local Criminal Investigation Department, but one of the major aims of the new unit is to make investigations more efficient and provide maximum support for victims.
DI Dodd’s team, consisting of 18 detective constables, Crown Prosecution Service lawyers and paralegal, has intimate knowledge of all cases, as well as specialist knowledge of consistency.
But an integral part of its work is its partnership with the Sexual Assault Referral Centre at St Mary’s Hospital, Manchester, for medical treatment and holistic care.
There, victims can get advice on sexual health and pregnancy and are given the choice whether or not they want to involve the police, before being taken to the Rape and Sexual Assessment Support Centre (RASASC) in Warrington to speak to specialist advisers.
These teams are fundamental in providing emotional support, as well as helping victims through the criminal justice process.
“This is about giving the victim the best service possible by having as few people involved as possible,” said DI Dodd.
“In a lot of rape cases victims don’t necessarily want offenders being brought to justice. Having someone convicted after a process is important, but equally as important is that the victim feels they’re believed, that they’re treated with dignity and fairness and that they’ve got the support to deal with what they’re faced with.”
Central to the unit’s success is enabling victims to have the confidence to report attacks.
Whether the allegations have happened recently, or are historic ones, the unit is equipped to deal with all cases of reported rape and sexual assault.
Despite this, under-reporting of attacks continues to be a problem.
“People don’t report attacks for many reasons, such as fear of being disbelieved or proof of consent,” said DI Dodd. “But people should be secure in the knowledge they’re not alone.
“Society has this view of rape as being someone jumping out of the bushes but it’s not. Rape needs to be viewed differently than it is now; it can happen to anyone within every walk of life, in relationships, for example.”
Julie Evans of RASASC s hopes Cheshire’s new rape unit will encourage more people to seek justice.
“It is a very positive thing for the county and I hope it will encourage more people to come forward and contact us,” she said.
“RASASC offers access to independent sexual advisers and counselling and we have offices in Chester and Ellesmere Port or we are willing to travel if there are access difficulties.”
The Chester branch of RASASC is on 01244 907710.
