Sexual Abuse & Sexual Violence Awareness Week is an annual initiative (taking place from 7th to 12th February this year), dedicated to encouraging survivors of sexual abuse to speak out, and for everyone to come together to make noise about the reality of sexual violence and simply say that #ItsNotOk.
When it comes to sexual abuse, many victims are often worried about coming forwards and speaking out about their experiences for many reasons. However, by speaking out, it helps raise awareness of what victims have been through and will help contribute to putting in place a clear focus on how to eliminate abuse and provide support to survivors.
How to get involved
There are many ways you can get involved with Sexual Abuse & Sexual Violence Awareness Week, which are:
- Join the conversation – on social media by using #ItsNotOk and following @ItsNotOk2022. You can add the account’s Facebook cover and Twitter banner to your profile to show your support.
- Attend local events and meet like-minded people.
- Recycle or create a campaign with the #ItsNotOk logo and hashtag to promote awareness of services, prevention, support, etc.
- Participate in social media conversations, and involve your local media and community.
- Fundraise – take part in events run by charities. This can include, walks, runs, bake sales, etc.
Eradicating sexual violence and the importance of speaking out
A recent high-profile Court case, which our expert Family Law team advised on, has highlighted the importance of speaking out against sexual abuse and helped raise awareness.
Griffiths v Griffiths
In December 2021, in a landmark decision, the Court of Appeal permitted for the press to publish findings made in family proceedings that while they were living together, former MP, Andrew Griffiths abused his now ex-wife, Kate Griffiths MP. The findings in the judgment can be found here.
Typically with family law cases, they are conducted behind closed doors and the details are not disclosed to the public. However, an independent journalist, the Press Association, Rights of Women and the Association of Lawyers for Children intervened in the case to ensure the judgment was made public. They were supported by Ms Griffiths and the Guardian appointed to represent the interests of the child in doing this. The reporters argued the public had a right to know.
Mr Griffiths tried to prevent the judgment from being made public but his appeal was dismissed.
What wider impact could this case have?
Making the findings public highlights how important it is for victims of sexual abuse to speak out against their abusers and will hopefully inspire more victims to come forward and speak out. Kate Griffiths said:
“By going public I hope it gives strength to other women to speak out or seek help. I supported the publication of the Family Court’s findings and waived my right to anonymity because I recognised the unique position I am in to campaign to improve the outcomes of cases such as this, for those who endure domestic violence, and the actions taken to protect the children involved.”
Kate Griffiths has also said she has received nothing but messages of support from constituents, some of who are dealing with abuse themselves.
How can we help?
Melanie Bridgen is a Partner in our Family Law team, specialising in domestic and sexual abuse and children law matters, and has represented Kate Griffiths throughout the legal proceedings.
At Nelsons, we have a team of specialist solicitors in Derby, Nottingham, or Leicester who are experienced in protecting victims of abuse and will respond quickly to your enquiry.
If you need advice on any abuse-related matter or have any other family law-related queries, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss your circumstances in more detail and give you more information about the services that our family law solicitors can provide along with details of our hourly rates and fixed fee services.
Our team understands how distressing abuse is and handles all cases with sensitivity and professionalism. Please contact the team on 0800 024 1976 or contact us via our online form.
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