RAPE &
SEXUAL
ABUSE
A Crime in plain sight
Sexual violence is any act, or attempted act, that violates a person’s sexual autonomy, dignity, and sense of safety through force, coercion, or manipulation, regardless of the relationship between the survivor and the person responsible. Sexual violence is common in the UK, and it can happen anywhere, to anyone, at any time.
Perpetrators can be anyone: family members, friends, intimate partners, colleagues, religious leaders or strangers. The violence itself can take many forms, including rape, sexual assault, harassment and other kinds of sexual coercion. These acts might involve forced or coerced penetration, unwanted touching, or any sexual act carried out without consent.
Sexual violence is not only a physical violation. It also damages a person's emotional, psychological and mental wellbeing, often in ways that last well beyond the incident itself.
Because perpetrators can hold power or authority over a survivor, speaking out or seeking help is often harder than it should be.
Perpetrators of sexual violence can be anyone
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The violence can take place in any setting
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Sexual violence is not just a physical violation
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Sexual violence can happen in any relationship
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What Does Consent Mean?
Consent, or the lack of it, sits at the centre of sexual violence as a crime. Under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, a person consents only if they agree by choice and have the freedom and capacity to make that choice.
That means consent must be given willingly, free from coercion, manipulation or pressure, by someone whose judgement isn't impaired by intoxication, fear or coercion. Consent can also be withdrawn at any point during sexual activity, and once it is, the activity must stop immediately.
A person cannot give consent if they are drunk, drugged, have limited mental capacity, are being forced, imprisoned, coerced, terrified, asleep or unconscious. This list is not exhaustive.
How Can I Be Sure I Consented?
If you feel unsure about whether you consented, that uncertainty is itself worth paying attention to. Consent should never be given out of obligation or fear. You have the right to feel confident in your choices, and doubt is often a sign that consent wasn't fully possible.
Trust Your Feelings and Your Body
If something doesn't feel right, that doubt is valid. Your safety, control and autonomy matter, and you deserve situations in which they are respected.
Consent and Children
In the UK, a child under sixteen cannot legally consent to any sexual activity, whatever they may believe or however they may behave. Any sexual act involving a child under thirteen is automatically treated as a sexual offence
Responsibility of the Accused
Under UK law, it is the responsibility of the person accused of sexual activity to show they held a reasonable belief that the other person consented. A survivor is not required to have said "no," or to have physically resisted, for their lack of consent to count.
HELP IS AVAILABLE: 24/7 support line: 0808 500 2222