Just 16 per cent of child sexual abuse victims say NHS mental health services meet their needs, according to a new report demanding ministers act urgently over insufficient funding for adult survivors.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse – led by the Labour MP for Rotherham, Sarah Champion – heard from nearly 400 victims from across the country in its inquiry.
It found that male survivors wait an average of 26 years before disclosing their abuse and that one in five did not report abuse to the police due to fear of further violence from perpetrators.
Two in five adult survivors also said they were not taken seriously by police when reporting their abuse and nearly half were not told what the next steps in their case would be.
The report, detailing the harrowing experiences of survivors, claims the situation is urgent and more “children are put at risk” if survivors do not believe in the criminal justice system.
The survey added that 90 per cent of victims have found their intimate relationships are negatively affected, while 89 per cent say their mental health had been impacted and 72 per cent said their career had been adversely affected.
Despite being identified as the second most important form of support by survivors, just 16 per cent said that NHS mental health services met their needs.
“Government funding to services is currently insufficient to keep up with demand,” the report stated. “The funding landscape is complex, but specialist sexual violence and abuse support services (SSVSS) do not feel they receive a fair proportion of government funding.
“All services, including NHS and third sector services, should operate in concert in order to deliver the support survivors needs. Yet current funding mechanisms too often lead to a siloed approach that exacerbates poor commissioning and the postcode lottery.”
Responding to the findings, Ms Champion said: “Many survivors of abuse were badly let down by institutions that failed to protect them. The least they deserve is the government commitment to right this historical wrong by delivering the resources survivors need to rebuild their lives.
“Survivors are not asking for special treatment. They just need criminal justice agencies to recognise many survivors are traumatised and need a service that is understanding of their needs.
“The situation is urgent. If victims do not believe in the criminal justice system there is a real danger they will refuse to engage with it. In turn, abusers will go without punishment and more children are put at risk.”
