Three of the UK’s leading sexual violence charities have issued a warning that their vital services are in danger of closing due to lack of sustainable funding from the government. The Survivors Trust, Rape Crisis England & Wales, and We Are Survivors have joined forces with over 70 other frontline and membership services to urge the government to take immediate action in order to prevent the closure of these essential services.
In an open letter addressed to the Home Secretary and the Lord Chancellor, the organizations highlight the critical role these community-based services play in supporting survivors of rape and sexual abuse, many of whom never report the crimes to the police or engage with statutory services. Without proper funding, these services will be unable to continue their life-saving work, leaving tens of thousands of survivors without the necessary support to cope and recover.
The scale of the crisis is evident in the statistics: around 500,000 children are sexually abused each year in England and Wales, 14 million adults live with the trauma of childhood sexual abuse, and 1 in 4 women and 1 in 18 men have been raped or sexually assaulted since the age of 16. Despite these alarming numbers, less than 15% of rape survivors report to the police, and only 3% of those reports lead to charges in the same year. The economic cost of sexual violence and abuse against children and adults is estimated to be over £400 billion, yet the sector remains severely underfunded in comparison to domestic abuse services.
The open letter calls on the government to take the following steps:
– Guarantee the continuation of the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund (RASASF) beyond April 2026, with a 15% uplift and multi-year funding for stability.
– Provide urgent additional funding for specialist voluntary sector services who do not currently receive funding from the RASASF.
– Place a duty on NHS England, Police & Crime Commissioners, and local authorities to work with specialist voluntary agencies to assess and meet local sexual violence and abuse survivor support needs.
– Ensure sexual violence is not conflated with domestic abuse in policy or funding, recognizing the distinct expertise required.
– Ensure the upcoming VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls) strategy recognizes the distinct needs of sexual violence survivors, including men and children, and reflects these in departmental spending.
A spokesperson for the signatories stated, “Without urgent government action, there is a realistic possibility that the majority of specialist sexual violence services will have to close, leaving limited support for survivors and hindering the government’s own ambitions to halve violence against women and girls. These services save lives, save money, and help to aid prevention efforts. Losing them would be catastrophic.”
Duncan Craig OBE, founder and Chief Executive Officer of We Are Survivors, the largest male survivor organization in the UK, emphasized the importance of these services, saying, “We cannot afford to go back in time and see fewer and fewer specialist rape and sexual abuse organizations delivering services. Of course, there are financial pressures on the government, but the seeming lack of engagement recently in the decisions being made that impact victim/survivors of sexual offenses deeply concerns me.”
Fay Maxted OBE, CEO of The Survivors Trust, added, “For decades, these specialist voluntary sector services have provided life-affirming and often life-saving counseling, advocacy, and therapy for women, men, and children, as well as for families and loved ones. Their knowledge and expertise are unrivaled and vital for ensuring the government understands both the devastating impact of sexual violence and the healing power of effective, trauma-informed, survivor-led therapy and support. These services are essential.”
Ciara Bergman, Chief Executive Officer of Rape Crisis England & Wales, stated, “Together with all other services delivering sexual violence and abuse services across the UK, Rape Crisis England & Wales join the call for the work we do and the survivors we support to be recognized in the upcoming VAWG strategy and associated funding commitments. The work our centers do, and the people they work with, are amazing. We want to be there for them for as long as we’re needed, while working towards a longer-term end to rape and all forms of sexual abuse.”
The organizations have requested a formal response from the Home Secretary and Lord Chancellor by the end of September 2025.