Boris Johnson to quadruple Rape Crisis services in London

Three new Rape Crisis Centres will open in London this year, following London Mayor Boris Johnson’s pledge to quadruple Rape Crisis provision in the capital.

The first will open in Ealing next month followed later in the year by new services in the north and east.

When elected, Boris Johnson pledged to open three new centres and provide extra funding for the capital's only existing service in Croydon. By working together with London’s boroughs he has now delivered on this commitment and reversed a downward trend in women’s services, which saw two centres close under the previous administration.

Islington and Westminster councils have taken the lead to deliver new Rape Crisis services in north London using £370,000 of funding from the Mayor. With the full support of four other north London councils they plan to run Rape Crisis services in each borough with the work centrally co-ordinated by an existing women’s service provider. This means that women in north London will not have to travel across boroughs but can access services locally.

A similar plan is underway in east London where Redbridge is leading work to deliver a new Rape Crisis Centre for the area with £370,000 of funding from the Mayor.

The new Rape Crisis Centre for west London, run by the Women and Girl’s Network, will start operating on April 1. With £375,000 funding from the Mayor along with resources and additional funding from Ealing Council, the centre hopes to run satellite services across West London.

Since receiving £260,000 from the Mayor last year the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) in Croydon has doubled the capacity of its helpline and increased by 30 per cent the level of face to face counselling it can now provide to victims of rape and sexual abuse.

Speaking at an event to mark International Women's Day the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said:
“With the Ealing Rape Crisis Centre ready to spring into action next month and new services in north and east London up and running by the end of the year, women in the capital will at last get the services they need and deserve.

“By taking the time to get this right and working closely with London’s boroughs, we are cementing the future of these centres for years to come and reversing the appalling neglect of Rape Crisis services in London.”