UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian
Josh Halliday
Thursday 9 July 2015
Child sexual abuse charities have slammed a £2m Home Office fund, set up as part of Justice Lowell Goddard’s inquiry, labelling it a “stitch-up” that has left dozens of support groups facing closure.
The sexual abuse victim support fund was announced by Theresa May to help struggling charities cope with the huge number of victims coming forward to give evidence to Britain’s biggest ever public inquiry, which began on Thursday.
Money from the £2m fund went to 34 charities with scores missing out and £170,148 – the second biggest single award – going to the charity Missing People, which has recently launched a helpline for sexual exploitation victims but does not specialise in helping child abuse survivors.
“That was a scandal. I’m furious about it. That was our lifeline and now we’re all in crisis,” said Gillian Finch, founder of the Hampshire-based charity Cisters, which offers counselling to women who have been sexually abused by a member of their family in childhood.
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