Over the course of the past two years there has been a 120 per cent increase in reported male rape cases recorded in London. This despite the fact that experts believe that only 2-3 per cent of men report their rapes (compared to 10-12 per cent of women) meaning that many thousands of men likely suffer in silence.
Despite the rise in cases, the UK’s biggest male-dedicated support charity for victims of sexual abuse, Survivors UK, has recently had its funding cut to zero. As a result the charity no longer has the money to continue its group therapy programme and is having to turn individuals away and put them on waiting lists.
'It's heartbreaking'
Michael May, Director of Survivors UK, comments that, “We have 40 people in our service and we cannot let any more in until others leave. In the last month, we’ve had 18 referrals. That’s growing every day. Yet we have to reject them. It’s heartbreaking.”
In 2014 the Mayor of London allocated £1,292,666 to provide support services for victims of sexual abuse in London. Only about 2.5 per cent of that figure (£32,666) was spent on services dedicated to supporting men and boys. With funding being cut many men will now find it very difficult to get the help they need.
The number of cases is likely to grow
The number of men who need services like Survivors is growing all the time. According to figures obtained from the Metropolitan Police, in 2012, 485 men in London reported having been the victims of sexual offences, including 131 who reported having been raped. In 2014, that number rose to 1,027, 308 of which were rapes.
And that number is expected to grow as high-profile rape cases and abuse enquiries encourage other victims to come forward.
Yet with funding cuts likely to increase over the next few years male victims of sexual abuse face an uncertain future.
With the increasingly fractured nature of society, growth of family breakdown and the sexualisation of children and young people there are likely now many more young men and boys vulnerable to sexual exploitation.
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Why doesn't society care about male rape? (Telegraph)