Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

19.85
19.86
means more provision. There is an urgent need for a national sexual violence helpline to also
be centrally funded.
Recommendations:
• Other government departments, especially the Department of Health, should
contribute to the Rape Support Fund to boost resources available in light of
the support to adult survivors of child sexual abuse and the absence of any
specialised services within local health services
• A national helpline for victim-survivors of sexual violence should be funded by the
Westminster Government and delivered by Rape Crisis
Trafficking and prostitution are inextricably linked to unacceptable levels of vulnerability,
coercion, exploitation, violence and abuse. Research shows high levels of client violence
experienced by sex workers over their lifetime - in the six months prior to interview, 37% had
experienced some form of client attack. Street working prostitutes most often reported being
‘slapped, kicked or punched’ (47%), 28% reported ‘attempted rape’ (vaginal or anal). Of violence
reported by indoor prostitutes, the most frequently reported was vaginal or anal ‘attempted
rape’ (17%). 156 (See Article 6) Organisations working to support sex workers are concerned that
police attitudes towards sex workers mean that they often do not see them as having the same
rights as other women when they had been sexually assaulted. In some cases the police in
fact seem more interested in prosecuting the victims. The negative relationships sex workers
have with some police officers mean that they find it difficult to come forward and report
victimisation because they do not trust the police. 157
Recommendation:
Ensure police are more informed about the impact of trauma on women’s choices
seemingly to place themselves at risk, which would help improve their response
to sex worker victims. Such training could be delivered by ex-service users and
voluntary sector agencies
Non-state torture (NST)
All forms of VAWG that may entail severe pain or suffering (whether physical or mental) violate
the right to be free from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. 158 Discrimination
exists for women/girls who suffer torture by non-state actors in the private/domestic sphere
when this form of gender-based violation is not socio-legally recognised as a specific crime and
a distinct violation of their human rights. 159 Women and girls who are tortured in this way must
be recognised as a specific vulnerable group. Unless there is a specific NST law and this law is
enacted, criminal-legal data fails to record acts of gender-based NST therefore NST remains
invisible. (See Appendix: 34 for more information)
156. Barnard, Hart and Church (2005) Client Violence Against Prostitute Women Working From Street and Off-Street Locations: A Three City
Comparison. Economic and Social Research Council http://www.esrc.ac.uk/my-esrc/grants/L133251025/read
157. Victim Support (2012) Listening and Learning: Improving support for victims in London. Produced by Victim Support in partnership
with the Home Office and Ministry of Justice http://www.victimsupport.org/About-us/Policy-and-research/~/media/Files/Publications/
ResearchReports/VSA%20reports/Listening%20and%20learning%20-%20London
158. The European Court of Human Rights, interpreting Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights has for example held that rape is
an “specially grave and abhorrent form of ill-treatment” and that the “specially cruel act of rape the victim was subjected to amounted to
torture”. See, Aydin v. Turkey, European Court of Human Rights, Application No.29289/95, judgment of 25 September 1997.
159. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/
cedaw.htmArticle 1
Women’s equality in the UK: CEDAW shadow report 2013 193