Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price has welcomed the announcement that the Government has achieved its target of opening 15 new rape crisis centres and providing funds for existing rape crisis services such as SERICC which is supporting women and girls in Thurrock who have been victims of sexual violence.
SERICC has been awarded £140,000 for the years 2014-2016 from the rape support fund to help provide victims with access to advice, support and counselling.
Jackie said, “We are fortunate to have SERICC which does so much to drive the issues of support for victims of sexual violence up the political agenda. I am proud that this Government has made tackling sexual violence such a priority. The cases of Rotherham and Savile illustrate very clearly how vulnerable girls are discriminated against by the very institutions that are supposed to be protecting them. We have still a long way to go to ensure to establish zero tolerance of predatory and abusive behaviour on the part of men. It is completely unacceptable that perpetrators of vile sexual crimes have been able to hide behind their celebrity or their ethnicity to evade justice. I will be pressing the Government to continue to hold tackling sexual violence as an important priority.”