Last updated 10:57, Saturday, 10 May 2008

Brave Johnny Barclay spoke openly for the first time about his own experience of surviving childhood abuse at a conference held in Cumbria this week.

Here to help: Carol Tindall, front, chairman of West Cumbria Rape Crisis, Johnny Barclay, right, counsellor for West Cumbria Rape Crisis, Steve Bevan, back, a speaker at the conference and founder of Survivors Swindon

Johnny, 48, who lives in Carlisle, talked candidly of overcoming deep bouts of depression as he continues to cope with the aftermath of sexual abuse carried out around 40 years ago.

He was addressing almost 100 delegates who attended Thursday’s event, which aimed to raise awareness about the issues surrounding rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse.

The conference, at Hunday Manor Hotel near Workington, also highlighted important issues such as how men can be victims of such crimes and the threat to the long-term future of 32 remaining UK Rape Crisis centres because of a lack of funds.

Plans for a new one-stop help centre in Cumbria were also discussed.

Local theatre company Making Waves also staged a drama at the West Cumbria Rape Crisis event to illustrate the ‘ripple effect’ a rape can have on a local community.

Loosely based on a real-life situation, their re-enactment highlighted how different people can react and its impact on those living in a tight-knit, small, rural community.

Johnny now works as a counsellor for West Cumbria Rape Crisis, a charity which helps victims and their families across the north and west of the county.

He, like many advisors, believes talking about the situation will help address underlying issues, raise awareness about how widespread yet unspoken the problem can be and, most importantly, show that vital support is available to those who need it most.

Johnny, who is also a counsellor for the NSPCC, Cumbria Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service (CADAS) and Workington-based Resolve Mediation Service, said: “I did it because it is all about breaking the taboo. I want to get people to talk about abuse.

“I was so nervous standing up and talking and I’m not sure if the feelings I have about what happened will ever go away but I want to show you can live through it.

“I’ve survived it but I still suffer. I’ve had four weeks of severe depression because it all came back again but I’ve learned from it and have moved on.

“This taboo about not talking about this subject needs to be broken. We need to talk about it more. People are scared of it and they shouldn’t be.

“If someone comes to you, a friend or relative, please don’t shy away.

“This is happening in our families and that is one of the biggest things people do not talk about.

“Also, people only seek the services and the help they need when they reach crisis point so it is important we keep talking about it as a way to let people know help is available.”

Conference delegates, from a range of health organisations, councils, police, Connexions and support charities such as Victim Support and CADAS, also heard several myths surrounding the issue of rape and sex offences.

There is a false belief that this kind of offence is committed by strangers but in reality the vast majority – more than 80 per cent of cases – are carried out by people the victim knows.

Delegates also heard of Cumbria’s latest plans to provide better practical help to the victims of rape, sexual abuse and sexual assault.

Kate Rowley, co-ordinator of major crime at Cumbria Constabulary, discussed plans to create the county’s first Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in Carlisle. The SARC, like others around the country, would hope to provide a one-stop shop to people seeking help.

They provide direct access to suitable medical staff, counselling and examinations as well as the opportunity to report the crime to police if desired.

Currently, anyone who goes to the police for help undergoes a forensic examination near Longtown before being advised on where to go for other forms of help and support.

Mrs Rowley, who said the numbers of such offences being reported in Cumbria had doubled recently, said: “A SARC would provide an integrated service. They would have multi-agency involvement and to that aim a committee has been set up in Cumbria.

“It includes organisations like the police, voluntary sector, minority groups and Crown Prosecution Service.”

She also explained that Cumbria Constabulary had also recently drawn up a single county-wide policy to deal with every case of rape and serious sexual offences when they are reported.

Front-line officers and police staff are also receiving special training to help them care for people who go to police stations to report an offence.

They are additional to the 17 specially trained officers who work in the area.

The SARC committee is now appealing for funding to appoint an independent sexual advisor, which are common elsewhere in the country. The committee is also looking for a suitable site or plot of land where a SARC can be created. The aim is for it to help children as well as adults.

Louise Rogers, from Rape Crisis England & Wales, spoke of the fear for the future of such centres across the country.

She said half of the remaining 32 Rape Crisis centres across the country face closure in the next 12 months because of a lack of funding.

Anyone who needs support can call the charity’s confidential helpline on 01900 829729.