Mayor announces new £4.3m fund to support victims of sexual violence

• Sadiq fulfils manifesto pledge and announces new £4.3m fund to increase vital one-to-one support for victims of sexual violence and domestic abuse in the capital
• Mayor takes action to ensure better practical, legal and wellbeing support is available for rape victims throughout the criminal justice process
• New funding builds on success of the Mayor’s investment in Independent Sexual Violence Advisers, grassroot services and his £60.7m investment to tackle violence against women and girls

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced a new £4.3 million investment package to provide vital one-to-one support for hundreds of victims of sexual violence and domestic abuse in the capital and improved help for rape victims throughout the criminal justice process.

The announcement follows the Government’s rape review last month which highlighted the direct impact that a lack of properly trained support workers is having on rape conviction rates and the historically low number of rape cases that are making it to court.

This new investment, successfully secured by City Hall from the Ministry of Justice¹, will allow the Mayor to appoint an additional 21 Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs) and 23 new Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs) in London to help victims understand the process from ‘report to court’ and receive ongoing practical and wellbeing support - building on the 88 specialist advisors already funded by City Hall. An additional fund of £850,000, from the Ministry of Justice, will also be used by City Hall to increase counselling services for victims and survivors of sexual violence.

Both sets of advisers are independent from the police and will enable victims to access housing advice, legal support, counselling, assistance within health services and provide vulnerable victims with phones, travel cards, food and medical supplies.

The new advisors fulfil the Mayor’s manifesto commitment to provide more one-to-one and therapeutic support for victims and survivors of sexual violence in the capital. In 2019 the London Rape Review², commissioned by City Hall, highlighted how 58 per cent of victims of sexual violence withdrew from the criminal justice process. Since then, the Mayor has funded 88 specialist advisors as part of his record £60.7m investment to tackle all violence against women and girls, which is already working to save lives, reduce waiting lists and keep doors open for vital specialist support services for victims.

Figures show domestic abuse accounted for one in five crimes reported to police in England and Wales during, and immediately after, the first national lockdown, with the Met police recording a 12 per cent rise in domestic violence calls in that time³. The new Independent Domestic Violence Advisers funded by the Mayor will provide high-risk victims of domestic abuse in London with a tailored safety and support plan so that victims and their families are better protected from abusive behaviour.⁴

City Hall has also been working with the National Police Chiefs Council, Association of Police and Crime Commissioners to introduce a new Pathfinder Project in London to improve convictions for rape cases and to ensure victims are better supported through the investigation process. This action follows a successful pilot of the City Hall scheme in Avon and Somerset and involves the introduction of new steps to the investigation process to ensure earlier and closer engagement with victims by the police, to prevent prolific offenders from reoffending and reducing the number of victims withdrawing cases. The pathfinder project will begin to be rolled out in the capital this September.

New funding will provide renewed support for vital services in the capital, including the Asian Women's Resource Centre, Stay Safe East, Galop, Respond and the London Survivors Gateway. Sadiq visited the Women and Girls Network who run the London Survivor’s Gateway today to hear more about the crucial role and impact ISVA’s, already funded by City Hall, are making to the lives of victims and practitioners during the pandemic and beyond.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m determined to do everything I possibly can to ensure rape victims are better supported throughout the whole criminal justice process, as well as taking measures to address the historically low number of rape cases that make it to court.

“I made a commitment in my manifesto to appoint more Independent Sexual Violence Advisers and Independent Domestic Violence Advisers to ensure victims receive more to support to ensure they do not have to go through the daunting criminal justice process alone.

“As a direct result of funding I’ve announced today, professional and independent one-to-one support will now be on offer from ‘report to court’ for many more survivors of sexual and domestic violence to help them stay safe, secure justice and rebuild their lives.”

Claire Waxman, the London Victims’ Commissioner, said: “I welcome this significant funding and am pleased that the Mayor has listened directly to the needs of victims. Through all my work with survivors of sexual violence and domestic abuse, I know how vital emotional and legal support are in ensuring that victims feel able to cope and recover.

“There is no question that a lack of properly trained support workers is having a direct impact on rape and domestic abuse prosecutions and the historically low number of rape cases that are making it to court. If we are going to improve conviction rates, we need more independent specialist advisors to work closely with victims, support their engagement with the criminal justice system as well as offering ongoing wellbeing and practical support.”

Victims Minister Kit Malthouse said: “I am delighted to see our extra investment funding more of these essential roles – providing vital support to victims when they need it most.

“At the same time, our landmark Domestic Abuse Act and recently published rape action plan will transform the response to these appalling crimes and build back confidence in the justice system.”

Claire Rai, Deputy Service Director for Victim Support said: “In May this year we received the welcome news that additional funding from the Ministry of Justice had been secured by the Mayor’s Office, and that Victim Support could access this to tackle the significant increase in domestic abuse we have seen over the last year.

“We have experienced an increase in complex cases and those involving serious injury, as well as an overall increase of 276% in referrals to our domestic abuse services. Our Independent Domestic Violence Advocate caseloads are 87% higher than they were in the same period last year and therefore the additional funding from the Mayor’s Office has been invaluable for Victim Support to continue to provide the enhanced level of advocacy that is so much needed by victims and survivors of domestic abuse in London.”

Gurpreet Virdee Director of Operations and Development at The Women and Girls Network said: “Over the past year, sexual violence services have experienced unprecedented demand exacerbated further by the global Covid pandemic. Yet despite the increased demand, survivors, particularly women and girls have been unable to access the services they desperately need.

Women and Girls Network (WGN) has spent over three decades developing and delivering specialist support for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Since 2018 we have been proud to have been leading a partnership of specialist sexual violence providers in London to deliver the London Survivors Gateway. The Gateway offers an innovative and coordinated approach to sexual violence provision in the city and has helped ensure that the needs of all survivors in a London can be met including black and minoritised, LGBT, disabled and male survivors. The partnership is also campaigning and fundraising to bridge the huge gaps between the capacity of services and the ever-growing demand for support.

“We welcome the Mayors commitment and investment into sexual violence services in London since his appointment. However, further progress is still very much required to ensure that we are able to offer all survivors of sexual violence high quality services and ultimately ensure that no survivor is turned away.”

Sarbjit Ganger, Director of the Asian Women's Resource Centre, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive new funding and have more harmful practices advocates based within our organisation.

“This will significantly increase our organisational capacity to provide casework support to more women experiencing harmful practices across London.

“We are extremely thankful to the Mayor of London for his commitment to tackle harmful practices and for supporting the led by and for women's sector.”