Centre `for victims to become survivors'

KELLY BURNS
Two rape "survivors" are on a mission to revive a rape crisis centre in Hawke's Bay.
Michelle Pyke and Sara Keesing hope to re-establish the centre within six months.
The rape crisis centre under the auspices of Women's Web closed in 2002, after a funding shortfall.
Since the centre closed, the pair believe Bay women and men were without a dedicated rape crisis service.
The two women, who had used the service in the past, wanted a centre to help others turn from being "victims to survivors."
"I feel the loss for all the people that don't have this service, because I know the value of it," Ms Pyke said. Reviving a rape crisis centre was her new "baby".
"I thought if no-one else was going to do it, well I'll do it," she says.
The proposed centre would provide a 24 hour telephone service, and have one core counsellor and trained volunteers.
It would be independent, and offer immediate medical and social support.
Ms Pyke said while Women's Refuge and other agencies provided support for sexual abuse victims, it was "not their core business".
It was difficult to know where to turn after an attack, a rape crisis centre would become the "first port of call."
Ms Pyke planned to raise the estimated $50,000 needed from charity groups and the Lottery Commission.
The biggest challenge would not be sourcing funds, but rather "getting people over the ugly hump" of the stigma of sexual abuse and ready to talk about rape. She hoped to establish the centre within six months, or by the year's end at the latest, and called for volunteers to email her on info@florasangels.co.nz.
Since the centre folded in 2002, sensitive claims to ACC remained steady.
Anyone suffering from a mental injury resulting from sexual abuse can lodge a sensitive claim with ACC to cover costs towards treatment, rehabilitation and support if unable to work.
From July 2005 to June 2006 there were 183 newly approved claims in Hawke's Bay, including 31 lodged by men, totalling $164,447.
Police statistics showed in 2005 there were 85 recorded sexual offences in the Hastings area, and 55 in Napier. Hawke's Bay was one of the few cities in New Zealand without a specialised sexual abuse centre.
Hastings CIB head Detective Senior Sergeant Dave de Lange welcomed any initiative for victims of crime.
"Any support given to victims of sexual offences would be very beneficial, we would support anyone who undertakes that," he said.
However, he stressed that people should contact police in the first instance.