Police launch rape awareness campaign

Greater Manchester Police and its partners are committed to supporting the victims or rape and sexual offences throughout the year. However, in the run up to Christmas there are concerns about people who drink large quantities of alcohol on a night out and leave themselves vulnerable to falling victim of a number of crimes, including rape and sexual assaults.

Between 1 April and 31 October 2008, there were 526 rapes and attempted rapes reported in Greater Manchester - alcohol featured in approximately two thirds with this figure expected to increase in the run up to and over the Christmas period.

Superintendent Phil Owen of GMP’s Local Policing Improvement Branch said: “As the Christmas party season approaches, we want people who are going out to have a good time but to keep themselves safe.

“As part of a week-long awareness campaign, we will be using a number of tactics such as distributing posters to licensed premises to highlight important messages such as, sex without consent is a crime and can lead to a lengthy jail term and ‘let your hair down, not your guard’.”

Two highly emotive TV adverts will also be broadcast on TV and on the Skyscraper-screen advert, in Piccadilly. One of the adverts will remind offenders ‘No Consent No Sex’. The second advert is aimed at victims and highlights the effects of rape, the importance of reporting it and the support available.

Superintendent Owen added: “Through this campaign, we also want to encourage people to report rape to us. I want to reassure people that we take rape extremely seriously and constantly strive to improve the service and support we give to victims.

“It is a very traumatic and upsetting time for victims, which is why we have specially trained officers who can give help and support from the initial report and throughout the investigation to going to court.”

As well as the police, there are a number of other organisations in place to support victims of rape, such as St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre, the Victim Support and Witness Service, Rape Crisis and M.A.S.H.

Dr Catherine White, Clinical Director at St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre, said: “St Mary’s is an independent service that offers free and confidential advice to all victims of rape. Anyone who has been assaulted - whether recently or in the past – can access our services directly. These services include a comprehensive examination as well as ongoing one to one counselling and advice on related health issues.”

Radio adverts will also run on Key 103 and Rock Radio to support the rape awareness campaign.