News
The Duchess visits organisations helping people affected by sexual abuse
18th February 2010
The Duchess of Cornwall today visited organisations in London that help people who have experienced sexual assault.
Watch the video below:
In November 2009, Her Royal Highness visited the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre in Croydon where she met victims of sexual abuse.
After that visit The Duchess was keen to find out more about the services available to people affected and to help raise awareness of the important issue of rape and sexual assault that affects men, women and children.
Today The Duchess visited the Havens, one of three London-based sexual assault referral centres, based in St Mary's Hospital in Paddington.
The Duchess was shown all the stages a person, generally referred by the police, might go through in the small Haven unit.
The Duchess was told how victims receive an initial chat where they are told about the process, then have a consultation with a doctor, who will examine them to collect DNA and document any injuries before they receive counselling.
Dr Muriel Volpellier, a Haven doctor who gives victims a forensic examination in order to gather evidence for any possible court cases, chatted to The Duchess about her work.
She stressed that they tried to make the experience as "good" as possible to help the start the process of recovery and spoke of the bond of trust that needs to exist between staff and users of the centre.
The associate specialist in forensic gynaecology spent around 20 minutes talking The Duchess through her role and explaining how, in many cases, victims did not have injuries following an attack.
Afterwards, The Duchess went to Kilburn Police Station in London to tour the offices and interview rooms of one of London's 19 Sapphire units.
They were unveiled last autumn by Scotland Yard following a massive overhaul of its response to rape and other serious sexual offences last year.
Senior officers have brought all borough sex crime units, known as Sapphire teams, under the control of one central command.
Detective Chief Superintendent Caroline Bates, who leads the Sapphire teams, stressed after the visit that the blame should not be placed on the shoulders of someone who had been attacked.
She said: "If you don't consent to a sexual act, you are a victim. It doesn't matter what you've been wearing or what you have been drinking - consent is the key."