A centre offering help to women victims of rape and sexual assault was opened in London yesterday. It is being run on a voluntary basis by a group of women.
They are operating a 24-hour telephone line and woman rape victims will get sympathetic advice and a companion to accompany them to the police, doctor or court hearing.
The group said: "Whether it happened 20 years or five minutes ago, any woman can contact the centre and get immediate support."
The group is not disclosing the location of the centre or the names of the women running it. "We are keeping a low profile because we want to hear only from women who need help", a leading member said.
Dr Judith Gilley, a north London general practitioner, one of the centre's medical advisers, said: "One needs a good deal of privacy for this type of operation."
The leading member of the group, "Brenda", said it had charitable status and links with the police, doctors and lawyers. Women would be given free legal and medical advice and everything would be dealt with in the strictest confidence.
"Rape victims need to talk to someone after this traumatic experience and to get help with the problems it creates", she said. "Police have a priority to catch the rapist and often do not follow through with emotional problems."
Although the staff was entirely female, the centre had several men on call who could advise the male relatives of victims.
Mr Robin Corbett, Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead, who has been piloting a Bill through the House of Commons to alter the law on rape, welcomed the opening of the centre.
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