Rape Crisis to set up Shetland service

SHETLAND is to employ its first rape victim support worker to help deal with a disturbing increase in sexual assaults in the islands.

Rape Crisis Scotland is being given £1.85 million by the Scottish government to expand its services northwards, which includes creating its first posts in the northern isles.

The charity is now looking for a support worker in Shetland to help anyone aged 13 or over who has been affected by any form of sexual violence.

The successful candidate will work alongside Shetland Women’s Aid, with mentoring available from Rape and Abuse Support Aberdeen.

Not only will they be offering personal emotional support to survivors of sexual abuse, they will act as an advocate for them.

They will also be expected to raise awareness of the issue in Shetland and review the needs of the new service, which will be funded by the government until 2018.

The investment comes less than three months after Shetland Women’s Aid highlighted the growth in cases of sexual abuse in the isles, which has seen its caseload almost double of late, with the biggest problem being domestic abuse.

Figures for recorded crime in Scotland have revealed that the number of sex crimes in the country as a whole increased by 11 per cent last year.