NSW: Students fund rape awareness campaign

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NSW: Students fund rape awareness campaign

By Kim Arlington

SYDNEY, Dec 16 AAP - School students today helped fund a community awareness campaignto encourage victims of sexual assault to seek support and advice.

The NSW Rape Crisis Centre today launched the campaign with the help of funds raisedby the students following several high profile rape cases earlier this year.

Information kits and more than 15,000 stickers printed in 10 languages will be distributedto promote the centre's 24-hour telephone counselling and referral service.

The centre offers support and advice to about 130 new callers every month - a figureexpected to rise by up to 30 per cent during Christmas and New Year.

Speaking at the campaign launch, former Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner SusanHalliday said a recent Women's Safety Survey showed only 11 per cent of women reportedtheir experiences of sexual violence to police.

The 16,744 sexual assaults reported in Australia last year were only a fraction ofthe sexual assaults that actually took place, she said.

Ms Halliday said supporting the victims of sexual assault should always be the prioritywith the campaign crucial in informing women where to seek counselling and advice.

"There's a need to extend a hand to women, be they recent victims or victims in pasttimes, and what's important is to get them the help and counselling they require," shesaid.

"The victims will then have the right to decide whether or not to report it to the police."

Ms Halliday praised the school students from Bankstown and North Sydney who helpedraise funds for the campaign.

"Sadly rape is an issue that needs to be addressed and it's important that we haveyoung people talking about it, that it's not a hidden issue," she said.

Elisa Fisher, a Year 11 student at Beverly Hills Girls High School, was one of thosewho initiated fundraising for the campaign.

She said it was important to promote support networks for victims of sexual assaultand assure victims they were not to blame.

"There's a general consensus among the community that it's something to be ashamed of," she said.

"Often girls think that they brought it on themselves, they feel it might be their fault.

"But nobody should be subjected to this kind of violence."

AAP ka/nf/mg/bwl i

KEYWORD: CAMPAIGN NIGHTLEAD