'˜14 sex attack victims come forward daily since rape trial'

The waiting list for specialist Nexus NI counselling has swollen from 300 to more than 700, statistics showed.

The charity provides advice and help and chief executive Cara Cash said increased public investment in services was urgently needed.

“The reality for us day-to-day is that we are busier than ever before.

“I have been with Nexus for two years as chief executive.

“When we arrived we had a waiting list of about 300-400 people and we are now looking in excess of 700 and that is only for the specialist counselling services.

“In the wake of the trial, the day that the verdict was given, for about two and a half weeks after we saw 14 new referrals per day.”

Victims can be aged from eight to their 70s, and on average a fifth are male.

Ireland and Ulster rugby stars Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding were cleared of rape following a nine-week trial which attracted enormous publicity and public comment.

Ms Cash said there had been a surge in sexual violence reporting as victims identified it with their own experiences but warned some of the coverage had been difficult for those affected because of the level of detail.

She is part of an expert advisory panel helping retired Appeal Court judge Sir John Gillen conduct a speedy and robust review of how the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland deals with serious sexual offence cases.

Ms Cash said people were waiting from a fortnight to four months for Nexus appointments depending on their availability.

“So we know that another outcome of this (rape trial) is going to be an increased interest in our organisation.

“Where we have a difficulty is that our funding is stagnant, so we are talking to senior civil servants within the Department of Health about how much demand has increased; what we need now is reciprocal increased investment in our service.

“It is not good enough to say to victims come forward, seek help, seek support, and then not have the service you are telling them is there for them.

“That is a challenge for us as an organisation but we are determined to rise to it and we don’t want that to put people off.

“What we are saying is you are better being on that waiting list and knowing that we are getting to you than not being on that waiting list at all.”

Most counsellors are self-employed and move to where increased demand is present.

Some victims of sexual violence were traumatised by reporting of the recent rugby rape trial, the chief executive of Nexus NI said.

Challenging conversations are needed as part of an open-minded review of the criminal justice system undertaken by retired judge Sir John Gillen, Cara Cash added.

A recent spike in reporting by victims in Belfast was attributed to the proximity of the rugby rape trial.

Portadown and Ballymena have also seen recent peaks, sometimes due to a local story which victims or survivors can identify with, she said.

Ms Cash said: “Whilst we are in a democracy and there should be open access (to court), we also have to take into consideration when that reporting is traumatising individuals as they read it, how beneficial is it actually?

“Our primary concern is that things get better for victims and survivors and that they get better quick.”

Nexus is seeking a more victim-centred approach to criminal justice and Ms Cash said everything was up for discussion, including anonymity for both defendants and victims and how social media use should be addressed.

She added: “What we really want is an honest look at what is going on with criminal justice.”

Nexus wants to ensure negative experiences with the system are not repeated and recommendations are made which improve the outcomes for victims.

Ms Cash said publicising sexual violence, “breaking the silence”, can help people realise they are not alone.

“When you hear a voice that sounds like yours or you hear a story that sounds like yours and you think well I was not on my own ... when you hear something you can identify with there is an empowerment there in knowing I am not on my own and I can then come forward and get help or seek justice.”