The PCC is supporting Sexual Abuse & Sexual Violence Awareness Week.
The national campaign runs from today, Monday 2 February, to Sunday 8 February and aims to encourage conversations about sexual abuse for victims and survivors, their families and friends, and highlight the range of support available across the county.
Sexual abuse can be anything from street harassment, up-skirting, voyeurism and indecent exposure to sexual assault and rape; it can also occur online.
The PCC reinforces the impact of non-contact sexual offences and is encouraging people to report these crimes, as part of Sexual Abuse & Sexual Violence Awareness Week.
Whilst these offences do not involve physical contact, they are a form of sexual harassment and can have a profound and lasting impact on victims. The PCC supports the Suffolk police with emphasising that this behaviour should never be minimised or dismissed and are highlighting that may escalate over time if left unchallenged.
Suffolk’s PCC, Tim Passmore said: “Increasing awareness of the issue of sexual abuse and violence is absolutely crucial if we are going to reduce incidents of this repugnant behaviour.”
“We all have a part to play to support victims and we need to make sure support is easily accessible and avenues for reporting are clear.
“It is really sad that anyone should be subjected to any form of abuse. It is a very poor reflection on our society and something we all need to work together on to eliminate. We need to send out a very clear message that ‘Suffolk says that all forms of sexual violence are not ok.”
For victims of sexual offences, Suffolk has a dedicated sexual assault referral centre (SARC), known as The Ferns, which provides specialist, tailored support through Crisis Workers and Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs).
Services include trauma-informed support which is tailored to each case, as well as medical examinations following a recent rape or sexual assault, which can be carried out with or without police involvement.
The Ferns also supports those who have suffered abuse in the past and provides impartial information to victims about their options, accessing health services such as sexual health screening and specialist support including counselling.
ISVAs offers provide vital, practical guidance, emotional and confidential support to anyone affected by sexual violence, regardless of when the incident occurred or whether they choose to report to the police.
For more information on the service out there please visit: Support for victims