Sexual assault victims in Aylesbury urged to speak out and not fear repercussions of breaking lockdown rules

Victims First is working with Thames Valley Police (TVP) to reassure people who have been a victim of a sexual offence during the pandemic to come forward and seek support.

Detective Superintendent Rebecca Mears, from TVP, said: “Our priority first and foremost is to protect people. Whatever the circumstances are surrounding a sexual assault taking place, we urge victims to come forward and seek the necessary support and, if possible, report the offence to us so that we can take action to protect others. Please do not be concerned.”

Some rape crisis centres across the Thames Valley area have reported that they have seen a decrease in people seeking support following sexual offences for fear of repercussions around not complying with Covid-19 restrictions.

Eddie Fitzpatrick, from Victims First, said: “We know how difficult it can be for victims to come forward and ask for help but we want to assure people that if you’ve experienced rape or sexual assault, we will support you, regardless of when or where the incident happened, or whether or not you’ve chosen to report it to the police.

"Please contact us and one of our Victims First Officers will work with you to get the support you need."

You can contact Victims First on 0300 1234 148 or online at www.victims-first.org.uk