Centres helping women recover

Specialist centres for rape victims have helped hundreds of women to cope with the trauma of being attacked, a government study showed today.

Police send victims to the sexual assault referral centres, mostly based at hospitals, where they undergo forensic examinations and are offered counselling and support. Women who have been raped or assaulted are also free to use the centres without reporting the crime to police.

Home Office researchers followed 3,527 cases and questioned 228 victims in the biggest ever project of its kind.