Ministers join forces to promote anti-rape message

A new campaign has been launched today to promote an anti-rape message among students.

The collaborative venture between the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, the Northern Ireland Office, the PSNI and the Department for Employment and Learning focuses on a banner message that will be carried on all computers in Higher Education Institutions and Further Education Colleges, to raise awareness that non-consensual sex is a crime.

Welcoming the launch of the campaign, Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said: “This message is extremely important as it raises awareness of the very serious nature of non-consensual sex among young people who are particularly vulnerable to this type of crime.

“The campaign will encourage students to protect themselves and ensure that victims of sexual violence and abuse know they are not alone and should come forward to get the help they require. The banner message will also point to http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/wrong, where victims can find information on the support available to them.”

The campaign aims to increase understanding of the criminal law in relation to consensual sex. NIO Minister Paul Goggins said: "Changes to the criminal law last year made it very clear that any sexual activity with a person is illegal unless that person is over the age of 16 and is fully consenting.

"The onus is placed on the individual to make sure, without any doubt, that the other person knows what they are doing and fully agrees to it. There must be choice, freedom and capacity to choose. Without that surety, there is a real danger that they could face a charge of rape or sexual assault."

Minister for Employment and Learning, Sir Reg Empey, lent his support to the campaign saying: “I welcome the lead provided by my colleague, Minister McGimpsey, in this important campaign of raising awareness and helping to prevent sexual violence and abuse. I welcome the opportunity to support my colleague with other Departments and partner organisations.”

Sir Reg went on to thank the Higher Education Institutions and Further Education Colleges for their co-operation in getting this message directly to the student population.

Highlighting the dangers associated with excess alcohol consumption, Chief Inspector Don Glass from the PSNI Serious Crime Branch said: "Alcohol affects your judgement. We would urge all women to watch how much they drink and men need to be sure they get clear consent before sex. As the banner message on computer screens within the Higher Education Institutions and Further Education Colleges highlights, ‘sex without consent is a crime’, and this can subsequently lead to convictions that will have life changing implications for the victim and the accused."

Notes to editors:

1. The campaign is being launched on 1 April 2010 and will be rolled out across the Higher Education Institutions and Further Education Colleges in the weeks ahead.

2. Information for victims of sexual violence and abuse, including where to get help, a directory of services and changes in the law is available online.

3. Around 21% of girls (one in five) and 11% of boys (one in 10) experience some form of child sexual abuse. 23% of women and 3% of men experience sexual assault as an adult.

4. Information extracted from the PSNI statistics for 2008/2009 show:

• There were 1,943 recorded sexual offences. Of these, 404 (21%) were rape and attempted rape; 1134 (58%) sexual assault/ sexual activity offences; 270 (14%) exposure offences and 135 (7%) recorded as ‘other sexual offences’.
• Of the 1943 sexual offences recorded approximately 78% of victims were female and 14% men, with gender unknown in 8% of cases.
• Nearly 55.8% of sexual offences recorded in Northern Ireland were against young people under 18 years of age and 84% of victims in this age bracket were female.

5.Central Statistics Unit (PSNI) statistics in relation to recorded rape offences (including attempted rapes) are available to download (Size 10KB).
Information about the nine police districts is available online.

6. For further information, please contact the DHSSPS Press Office on 028 9052 0571. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.