According to the Guardian, a special fund, where £500,000 will be allocated to providing counseling and advisory services to men and boys who had been victims of rape and sexual violence. The fund will reportedly be launched on Thursday, the UK newspaper read.
The fund was said to have been created for the sole purpose of addressing the increasing crime figures of sexual assault in males. The Guardian said police figures recorded 2,164 rape and sexual assaults against males aged 13 and over in the 12 months to November of last year. The crime survey, which focuses on sexual crimes committed in England and Wales, estimated that there are 72,000 male victims of sexual-related crimes annually, and it seemed like majority of them are not reported to authorities.
Damien Green, Minister of State for Police and Criminal Justice, said the new fund will also help victims who had been abused when they were under 13. He added, "We believe around 12% of rapes are against men. Yet many choose not to come forward, either to report the crime or seek the support they need. I am determined to help break the silence on a subject still seen as a taboo. That is why we are toughening up sentencing and have introduced a mandatory life sentence for anyone convicted of a second very serious sexual or violent crime."
Survivors Manchester's Duncan Craig, whose organization help male survivors of sexual abuse and rape, lauded Green's latest financial effort. He told the Guardian, "In the past, there has not been enough support in the UK for male victims of sexual violence. But in the future I would like to see both the government and society begin talking more openly about boys and men as victims and see us trying to make a positive change to pulling down those barriers that stop boys and men speaking up. This funding will help to raise awareness of the issue and ensure that male victims are no longer ignored."
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