Guernsey Sexual Assault Helpline Reports Nearly Half of Calls from Minors

The sexual assault helpline in Guernsey has reported that almost half of its total calls originated from individuals under 18 years old. The Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), currently in its first year of a three-year pilot program, indicated that it has handled 120 calls since its launch in October 2023. Callers to the service have reported instances of both recent and past sexual violence, sought advice, requested referrals, and inquired about forensic medical examinations. Katie Thomas, the manager, stated that the service is instrumental in dismantling obstacles to reporting sexual assault or abuse, although the reason for the disproportionately high number of calls from individuals under 18 remains unknown. Ms Thomas explained, “Historically, anyone under the age of 18 years old would have had to be flown off island to see a specialist trained forensic doctor.” She continued, “Some of our sexual offence examiners can see these children on island from the ages of 13 and upwards.” Ms Thomas added, “We’ve developed our service with a forensic room and we’ve got them equipment so we can see these children on-island.” Ms Thomas also noted that in the past, individuals seeking assistance would typically have to approach their general practitioner, the police, or the emergency department. “They can be quite big barriers to somebody wanting to get support,” she commented. She elaborated, “Some people want to keep it completely separate from the home life and when you have a family GP they really struggle with coming forward.” “Now that we can offer that service [where] they can speak directly to the professionals, we are seeing a lot more phone calls for support, advice,” Ms Thomas concluded.