Coventry Community Safety Partnership

New Sexual Violence Media Campaign leaves no room for confusion about the seriousness of rape

A new radio campaign from the Coventry Community Safety Partnership is being launched with a hard-hitting message around sexual violence and rape. It's designed to encourage victims to feel more confident about reporting and reminds potential perpetrators that there are no acceptable excuses once a rape has been committed.

According to the Fawcett Society every 34 minutes a rape is reported to the police in the UK. 1 in 4 women have experienced rape or sexual violence with many feeling unable to report.

Reducing sexual violence and rape against women and girls requires a long-term shift in public attitudes, and effective media campaigns such as this will play a key role in achieving this. The radio ads on Touch Radio and Mercia from 15 Feb are hard-hitting mini-dramas. There are 4 different ads; three feature perpetrators of rape being interviewed in a police cell, before the listener hears a flashback to the victim saying "no". One of the ads features a conversation between a woman who's been raped and her friend; the friend encourages her to report the crime.

Victims need to know that there is support for them from organisations such as Coventry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (CRASAC) and that if they choose to report to the police on 999, they will be taken seriously. CRASAC supports around 3000 victims of sexual violence each year. Around 90% of victims that come to rape crisis centres do not report to the police.

Diane Whitfield from CRASAC said, "the campaign aims to demonstrate that rape or any form of sexual violence is no longer a ‘low risk’ activity. The campaign aims to break down the wall of silence that many victims experience because of the culture of blame and disbelief that still surrounds sexual violence."

For more information and interviews contact:

Tim Coleman, Coventry Partnership Communications Officer on:

02476 83 1743 0r 07939250752

E-mail: tim.coleman@coventry.gov.uk

Notes to editors:

The Coventry Community Safety Partnership (CCSP) is a statutory partnership which includes Coventry City Council, West Midlands Police, West Midlands Fire Service, Coventry Teaching Primary Care Trust, registered social landlords, Coventry Youth Offending Service, local service providers and representatives from the voluntary, community and business sectors. The work of the CCSP is guided by a three year local strategy (Community Safety Plan) that outlines how it aims to cut crime and anti-social behaviour and address drug and alcohol misuse.