'The Bridgeway' - a lifeline for Cumbria's sex crime victims

That shocking statistic is being highlighted by Cumbria Police and staff at a Penrith-based Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), which has helped hundreds of people affected by sexual violence.

The two organisations have launched a hard-hitting campaign that aims to shatter the many myths that surround rape and sexual assault – and show victims that there is expert and caring support, regardless of whether they want to see their attacker prosecuted.

Since April 2020, staff at The Bridgeway Sexual Assault Referral Centre have had almost 650 reports of rape - and almost half were committed in a domestic setting by a partner or ex-partner. 

Worryingly, senior police officers and sexual violence support staff at The Bridgeway believe the figure falls “considerably short” of painting the true picture because many victims do not seek help.

“In Cumbria, rapes and sexual assaults by strangers are very rare,” said Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Vicki Coombes, Cumbria Constabulary’s lead officer for dealing with rape and serious sexual assaults.

“Sex without consent is rape. This is no different if you are married or in a relationship with someone."

She and staff from The Bridgeway - set up in 2015 so that Cumbrian victims did not have to travel outside the county for the service - hope that their campaign will show victims there are options - including support and protection.

The Bridgeway supports victims on two levels: firstly, by offering emotional and practical support and advice; and second by tackling the necessary evidence-gathering tasks, though victims do not have to opt for a prosecution.

DCI Coombes and her Bridgeway colleagues stressed that the key issue in sex crimes is consent. “Sex without consent is rape,” she said. “This is no different if you are married or in a relationship with someone.

“Rape and serious sexual offences are life-changing. They can devastate individuals, their families and the wider community. There are so many myths when it comes to consent, particularly in a domestic setting.

“Sexual consent is where a person has the ability and freedom to agree to sexual activity. The person seeking or initiating sex is responsible for ensuring they have consent… if someone is scared, intimidated or intoxicated through drink or drugs then consent often can’t be given."

Trauma: Many victims are suffering in silence but help is available, says DCI Vicki Coombes and The Bridgeway's Clare Markey.

Asked why the campaign is being launched now, DCI Coombes said: “This campaign has come about because we’ve identified that 45 per cent of rapes that are reported to us are committed by partners, or ex-partners, in a domestic or home setting.

“So we’re reaching out to people.

“We want them to come forward and report to us so we can get appropriate support for them and highlight the services of The Bridgeway so people know they can self-refer.

"We understand that not everybody wants a criminal investigation.

“But we need to encourage people to report so we can get the right support in place. Hopefully, if people report domestic abuse to us soon enough, we can get that support in place before it escalates to sexual violence.”

DCI Coombes said the domestic context for such crimes often makes it even harder for victims to report them. Some may fear breaking up their home. She stressed that police respect the wishes of all victims.

“We understand it’s very difficult,” she said. “That’s the purpose of this campaign: to highlight that there is support, whether you choose to have a criminal investigation or not. You can report these issues to the police.

“We’ll respect your wishes; and point you in the direction of appropriate support services. People can self-refer to the Bridgeway and they provide a service, whether or not you report it to the police.”

Clare Markey, a coordinator and crisis worker with The Bridgeway, said: “Between April 2020 and now we’ve had 644 reports of rape.

"Forty-five per cent of those were in a domestic setting over those two years; rapes committed by a partner or ex-partner in a domestic or home setting, which is quite shocking.

“There's no real age profile [for victims]: we have clients who are six-weeks-old right through to 84 years old. If you've suffered rape or sexual assault, we'll help you.”

Clare praised the courage of victims, spelling out that The Bridgeway combines support with forensic evidence-gathering, keeping that evidence for at least two years so that prosecution remains an option.

She believes the true number of victims is far higher than current figures suggest because many suffer in silence.

She added: “I think there will be people in relationships who don’t know where to turn and that’s the point of this campaign. Whatever the challenges, victims should reach out to us because there's always a solution.

“As well as offering independent sexual violence advisors, we offer referrals to sexual health.

"When you’re at the Bridgeway, we can also offer emergency contraception and HIV medication if appropriate; and referrals to any other relevant services the client may need at that time.

“We make sure there’s full aftercare in place. Also, there's a referral service for specialist counselling for non-recent sexual violence. Anybody can use the service; it doesn’t matter what gender you are, or what sexuality you are.

“If you have experienced sexual assault, we will help you.”

The Bridgeway operates a free 24/7 helpline. The number is: 0800 118 6432. The website can be found at: https://www.thebridgeway.org.uk