Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner backs pilot project that aims to improve support for sexual harassment and violence victims

The pilot, which starts next month, will be run by the sexual violence charity ARCH Teesside and aims to be there for people who have reported experiences of sexual harassment and violence to Cleveland Police.

During the pilot, starting in September, specially-trained staff will call victims after receiving reports from Cleveland Police.

The ultimate aim is for more victims to report incidents, giving a clearer picture of sexual harassment and violence across Cleveland, and the barriers which victims face in reporting them and getting support afterwards.

Services provided as part of the 18-month pilot are aimed at making sure victims get the right support and information with a focus on the impact of the incident on victims rather than the offence itself.

The pilot has been grant funded by NHS England and is being backed by Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Steve Turner.

Elaine Wilson, referrals manager at ARCH Teesside, said: “This project makes sure victims have the opportunity for a conversation, to explore the support available and, if it is needed, to take up that support.

“The follow-up call will give victims breathing space and the chance to talk to an independent service and explore their options in a safe way.”

The pilot follows the publication of an in-depth analysis of sexual violence data for Teesside commissioned by the PCC.

It highlighted that less than half of all reported rapes in 2020 showed referral to the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) or other support services.

The pilot will run until the end of March 2025.