I have been enraged by Jordan...more than once!

News has been a bit thin today. Unusually so. My attention was drawn to a story in yesterday's papers about Jordan. Now I made a promise that I would try to avoid stories about this part of society. People like Jordan, Kerry Katona, Lilly Allen, Jack Tweed; people with no discernible talent that personify the New Labour era, hot air and no substance and in my view accordingly deserve little attention.

I made my promise on the basis that people like this get enough space in other publications and websites without having to feature in mine. I was however a little irritated by this story about the 'more than one rape' of Jordan. Now I know I am dropping a level by writing 'news' about this person but I feel that something needs to be said. I am also aware that many women will probably not think that as a man I am qualified to write on this subject, but I have an opinion and I'm going to try to put things as I see them. That's what I do here!

Firstly, I find it hard to understand why the phrase 'more than once' was used. Does that mean twice, thrice, over 10 times, over 100 times, what? Why would an exact figure not be used? It doesn't make any sense unless the reason the number was ambiguous was to stimulate interest from the glossy mags where it was probably assumed that ex-public school girl writers would clamour to betray themselves just to get the exclusive in which the actual number and the gory details are revealed. A quick £50 grand perhaps, maybe a hundred in Jordan's skin tight back pocket.

If this was just a publicity stunt then in my opinion the woman is clearly sick. From what I have seen rape is an awful experience which can have devastating effects on a woman. It is not a tool to refresh the rate at which one appears in the papers or to gain profit from and the media should be more aware of the way it allow itself to be manipulated. We already have the worst teen pregnancy rate in Europe. It was reported that 1 in 3 teenage girls have been sexually assaulted by boyfriends. Then along comes this tart and says: 'oh!...and in case nobody's got no good reason what to print my surgically altered mush today...I've been raped...more than once.'

Rather than make this announcement in a tasteful way that might raise awareness for a cause rather than her own, she has even attempted to bring her estranged husband, Peter Andre into the story by telling the world (probably via the News of the World or the Sport) that he knows who one of her rapists was. What's he going to say?

This is a nasty, seedy woman who has led a nasty, seedy life and unsurprisingly has had nasty, seedy things happen to her. If she has been raped then I feel sorry for her. Amongst other things it may account in part as to why she is the twisted, insecure person she appears to be. However in my world of boundaries and decency, the way this story has been used by a woman who has made her living from sex and the press that keeps her freak show alive is sickening and must be demeaning to other women who have had to suffer in silence and without justice or reward.

Who knows, maybe I've got it wrong and she'll become an ambassador against rape or something and shock me. Then again if she does I'll eat my laptop!

Green conference to call for national rape crisis hotline

At the Green Party's annual conference next week, party leader Caroline Lucas MEP will urge the Greens to toughen-up aspects of their social policy platform ahead of the general election.

And one of the party's new policies should be a government-funded national hotline for victims of rape and sexual abuse, she will say.

Caroline Lucas said today: "Rape crisis centres are struggling for funding. Some have closed; others provide phone services for a few hours a week. 40% of adults who are raped tell no-one. 31% of children who are abused reach adulthood without speaking of it. They may need help at any time."

"Vital services must be funded from taxation"

Dr Lucas, who is widely tipped to become the party's first UK MP in the coming general election, added: "These are absolutely vital services, and it's entirely appropriate that they be funded from taxation." The cost for such a hotline is estimated by the Green Party to be between £4 million and £5 million per year. (1)

"This is not meant to replace existing services, which also deserve better government support than they are getting now. Their knowledge of their own community and ability to meet its needs is irreplaceable. But there needs to be a overall and referral service open at any time a victim needs it."

If the motion passes, the Green Party's new policy would be to fund a national rape crisis hotline, to be operated by an NGO, to provide 24-hour, seven day access to immediate support and referral for victims of sexual crimes. This would direct callers to local services, including local phone lines.

Caroline Lucas added that she expected the motion to win strong support.

(Home Office) New measures to support victims of sexual assault

New measures to improve the investigation and prosecution of rape and to provide support to victims were announced today by Home Office Minister, Vernon Coaker.

The new measures follow discussions with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to ensure the best possible support for victims of rape. The measures include:

* Up to £1.8 million of new funding for Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) and Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs);

* Helping every police force to ensure that all victims are seen by a specially trained officer within an hour of reporting;

* Training for police officers on what do when a rape is first reported;

* New National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA) 'best practice' guidance for the police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on investigating and prosecuting rape to be published this summer and the provision of an expert support team to ensure consistent implementation;

* A Rape Performance Group, led by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) and the CPS to monitor police and CPS performance on rape and undertake continuous assessments of performance;

* An investigation into how the best practice guidance has been implemented by the HMIC in 2010;

* Ensuring that the police involve specialist sexual violence voluntary sector services in delivering training programmes on rape for the police; and

* Specific rape sessions as part of the Violence Against Women and Girls consultation programme.

Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said:
"There are few crimes more horrific than rape and we know it is a uniquely difficult crime to investigate. Every force has a responsibility to ensure that officers who come into contact with a rape victim are trained to support that victim. The package of measures we are announcing today will help ensure that the police and prosecutors are further equipped to investigate allegations of rape and secure justice for the victims.

"It is essential that every victim has immediate access to the services and support they need to come forward and report these crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice. I urge areas to apply for part of the new funding of up to £1.8 million so that we can work towards our target of having a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in every area and for victims to have access to the specialist advice of an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA)."

Assistant Commissioner John Yates, the ACPO lead for rape and serious sexual offences, said:
"ACPO welcomes the announcement of the additional funding to support the expansion of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) across the country. We have always said that these excellent facilities should be accessible to every victim of this terrible crime, no matter where they live.

"We know from experience and feedback what a dramatic difference they make both in terms of care and support for victims and in relation to giving investigators the best chance to build a successful case.
"In recent years we have made significant advances in the way we approach investigation of this difficult offence, but despite that there is much more to do. The new guidance to be published in the summer is a substantial piece of work undertaken by staff and officers who work with rape victims and who are determined to ensure the best possible standards are reached and applied uniformly across the country."

SARCs provide victims with immediate medical help, counselling, forensic examinations and the opportunity to give evidence anonymously on one site. The additional funding is for new and exisiting centres and is part of the Government's commitment to have a SARC in every police force area by 2011. ISVAs provide tailored support to victims throught the criminal justice process. This funding will increase the number of ISVAs from 36 to 43.

Lisa Thompson, Service Development Manager at the Rape and Sexual Violence Project, Birmingham and Solihull, said:
"I welcome these measures which will help the police to provide a better response to male and female victims of rape. Ensuring a specially trained officer is available within in a hour of a report of rape will provide a much better response to victims, which will hopefiully lead to better investigative outcomes.

"Training from specialist sexual violence voluntary sector services is also essential to combat common myths and stereotypes about rape, and to increase understanding both of the impact of rape, and the barriers to reporting. Understanding these barriers should help officers deal more sensitively with the victim sat in front of them. All these measures provide a step in the right direction in providing victims with a first class response. However we need to continue to find more ways to encourgage more victims to report these crimes, and to tackle the widely held public myths about rape."

The consultation The Together We Can End Violence Against Women And Girls sets out the action the Government has taken to tackle all forms of violence against women and girls. It looks at what more can be done to challenge the attitudes that uphold it in order to help women and girls feel safer.

Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equality, today announced £1.6million for Rape Crisis Centres and The Survivors Trust sexual violence charities across England and Wales.

The charities provide invaluable support and specialist services, such as counselling and advocacy, to women and men who have been raped or experienced sexual violence. Many victims were attacked years ago or when a child, but may not have previously spoken about or reported the crime.

Today's funding is on top of £1.1million announced last March. Not one Rape Crisis Centre1 has closed since then, and the fund has so far supported twenty rape centres.

The Government has prioritised tackling rape, supporting victims and prosecuting perpetrators: the number of rape convictions is 46 per cent higher today than in 1997, and around £11million has been invested in services for victims over the last five years. This includes 28 Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs), which provide immediate medical care, counselling, and legal advice to victims all in one place from professionally trained staff. There is a commitment to have one in all police force areas across England and Wales by 2011.

Ms Harman said:

"Rape is one of the most devastating offences. This fund is important to safeguard the local organisations who support women who have been the victims of rape."

On top of the funding, the Government is working closely with Rape Crisis England and Wales and The Survivors Trust to help them secure long term funding for their members - for example from charitable trusts, donations, Local Authorities, as well as central Govt sources such as grants and the Victims Fund. A series of workshops are being held to bring together local bodies and charities, research is being conducted, and a cross-Government working group has been established to help achieve this.

Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith said:

"Rape is an appalling crime and I am determined to ensure that every victim has immediate access to the services and support they need. I want more victims to feel confident to come forward and report these crimes so that we can bring the perpetrators to justice. This special fund will support the important work of organisations supporting victims of sexual violence, which provide essential support and advice to victims.

"We also recognise the need to do more to prevent these crimes from happening in the first place, which is why we recently launched the largest cross government consultation on ending violence against women and girls - asking the public what more we can do to prevent and challenge the attitudes that condone it. I urge both men and women to feed in their views."

Health Minister Ann Keen said:

"The Department of Health is committed to ensuring that victims of sexual assault continue to receive the necessary support and specialist services to help them overcome these traumatic experiences. That is why we are contributing significantly to today's investment for charities.

"Sexual assault can have devastating and long term consequences on the health and wellbeing of victims and charity run services such as Rape Crisis Centres play a vital role in helping those who have experienced any form of sexual violence, to come to terms with their experiences."

Fay Maxted, CEO of The Survivors Trust, said:

"The Survivors Trust works to ensure that there is equality in the provision of public funding for all agencies supporting victims of rape and sexual abuse. We are extremely pleased that Harriet Harman has announced this fund for The Survivors Trust and Rape Crisis member groups."

Christina Diamondopoulis, Wycombe Rape Crisis Centre, member of Rape Crisis (England & Wales):

"Our centre, which had developed a wide range of services and training, was hanging by a thread until we received the emergency funding. We had been reduced to providing a helpline service only, and that was due to close down too. The funding enabled us to reinstate a worker, as well as deliver volunteer training, counselling, and other support services."

The £1.6 million Special Fund is a cross-Government initiative involving the Government Equalities Office, Department of Health, and Home Office.

Justice Minister Maria Eagle also today announced a new £3.7 million Government grant for the UK-based POPPY Project which helps victims of human trafficking, many of whom are sexually exploited.

DARFURI SURVIVORS TO RALLY IN LONDON AS ICC DECIDES ON BASHIR ARREST WARRANT

Today the judges at the ICC will announce whether or not they are going to issue an arrest warrant for Omar Bashir, the President of Sudan, on charges of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide in Darfur.

If a warrant is issued, it will be the first time that such a step has been taken against a sitting head of state. As the ICC judges announce their decision in the Hague, Darfuri survivors will be gathered in capital cities across Europe to remember their murdered loved ones and destroyed communities – the victims of this crisis, whose slaughter demands justice.

London rally. In London, they will congregate for a commemoration outside the Sudanese Embassy from midday to 2.00pm, reading out the names of over a thousand victims and holding a minute’s silence at 1.00pm, the moment the ICC’s decision is announced.

“Khartoum will make a lot of noise that this is a politically motivated assault on the President, and through him, the Sudanese state and Sudanese people,” says Ishag Mekki, Humanitarian Officer for the Darfur Union – the umbrella group for Darfuri exiles living in the UK. “Amid that noise, just remember that on Bashir’s watch, millions of Sudanese men, women and children have been driven from their homes, killed or raped in Darfur. Not because they carry guns, but because of who they are. This is a matter of justice, not politics. And we, the survivors, know how desperately justice is needed.”

Darfur perpetrators implicate Bashir

Ahead of the ICC’s announcement, in a film released by the Aegis Trust (see earlier article) even the perpetrators themselves have begun to speak out against their masters in Khartoum; Janjaweed fighters describing how they call in Government airstrikes before attacking, and soldiers explaining how they were ordered by senior officers to rape girls as young as eleven or twelve.

“The rape and murder of the innocent is completely contrary to the tenets of Islam. It is contrary to basic principles of humanity. And it is a crime in International law. Would you accept it if your loved ones were the victims?”, asks Nejwa Gabir Ahmed, a survivor from Darfur living in the UK. She adds: “Unless the perpetrators are brought to justice, and unless justice is seen to be done, there will never be peace and reconciliation in Darfur. And we, the exiled, will never be able to return to our homeland with peace in our hearts.”

Call to UN Security Council: resist pressure from Khartoum over Article 16

It is widely expected that if the ICC issues an arrest warrant for Omar Bashir, politicians and diplomats in many quarters will increase the pressure for the UN Security Council to invoke Article 16 and suspend the process of international justice for Darfur.

“I ask the decision-makers at the UN Security Council; do not lightly trade away justice for the victims, or give it up in the face of blackmail from Khartoum,” says Darfuri survivor Khatir Mohammed, General Secretary of the Darfur Union. “A murder suspect is not let off the charges if he threatens to go out and kill more people. Nor should Omar Bashir, or any of those suspected of crimes against humanity in Darfur, be allowed to get off the hook by threatening peacekeepers, aid workers or our people in Sudan.”

A new report just released by Aegis, ‘The Enforcement of International Criminal Law’, addresses ways in which the international community could strengthen prospects for enforcement of any arrest warrant against Bashir.

Darfur Destroyed: Sudan's Perpetrators Break Silence

Darfur Destroyed: Sudan's perpetrators break silence from Aegis Trust on Vimeo.