This is a link to a petition to the Scottish Government concerning cuts to services for victims of abuse and rape in Northern Scotland. The text below is taken directly from the petition.
Scottish Government is cutting 50% of the funding to the only charities that support abuse and raped women from Aberdeen to the northest point of Scotland.
The only available abuse and rape charities up north, which provide a vital and important service to victims of abuse, rape and sexual violence are now facing closure after losing 50% of its Government funding.
In particular, RAS of Aberdeen (accredited Rape Crisis Centre that operates in Aberdeen and Fraserburgh) and Scottish Women's Aid Caithness and Sutherland.
In particular, RAS of Aberdeen (accredited Rape Crisis Centre that operates in Aberdeen and Fraserburgh) and Scottish Women's Aid Caithness and Sutherland.
(Read the full article about RAS at this link: http://louisethorntonpr.com/ras-facing-closure/)
"The charity offers a specialised service to victims and works closely with the NHS and Grampian Police."
"Dawn Brown, director of RAS, is hugely disappointed with the funding cuts. ‘The loss of funding will directly impact on the service being able to operate as without the additional funds the charity will be forced to close before the end of the year. RAS was the only Scottish centre who lost existing funding from the Violence Against Women Fund. The government has been extremely short sighted in cutting this funding as without the service, women in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire will lose a vital avenue of support to help them recover from their ordeal."
(quotes from the article mentioned above)
"Dawn Brown, director of RAS, is hugely disappointed with the funding cuts. ‘The loss of funding will directly impact on the service being able to operate as without the additional funds the charity will be forced to close before the end of the year. RAS was the only Scottish centre who lost existing funding from the Violence Against Women Fund. The government has been extremely short sighted in cutting this funding as without the service, women in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire will lose a vital avenue of support to help them recover from their ordeal."
(quotes from the article mentioned above)
Well RAS Aberdeen is the northest Rape Crisis Centre in Scotland. Many abused and raped women, me included, benefited of the huge and incredible support and work done by this charity to help us out.
There's NO other accredited Rape Crisis Centre in the Highlands that supports raped women. From Inverness to Shetlands raped women are often left alone and abandoned, no help and support to get out of that ordeal. NHS doesn't provide any free counselling services in Caithness and Sutherland directly aimed to rape victims and everything is left in the hands of volunteers. Now the Scottish Government wants to close down the few charities that operate in the area, this implying they're not of any use. Thanks to their decision, an area as big as the US state of Massachusetts will be left without any rape or abuse centre.
Maybe the Scottish Government should notice that the number of rape and abuse reports is so low in the Highlands because we receive NO support anywhere else. Police often misjudges the victims and in many cases police even turns on the victims.
There's NO meaning to report a rape unless the victims possess incredible evidence the crime happened. We suffer prejudice, slander, we've to leave our houses and we're let down by everybody.
There's NO meaning to report a rape unless the victims possess incredible evidence the crime happened. We suffer prejudice, slander, we've to leave our houses and we're let down by everybody.
Only FEW raped women are able to come forward because they know they'll be IGNORED and NOT BELIEVED from the start. If accidentally we decide to report what happened to the police, we face another ordeal that becomes a nightmare added to what we already suffered.
The only help and support we receive is from the charities Scottish Government is so eager to close down.
Please help Scottish Women to save these charities signing the petition.
Thanks a million xx
