Sexual and physical abuse victim waited two years for therapy

A woman who was abused by her step-grandfather since she was five years old is calling for more specialist support for victims of sexual abuse.

After facing long waits for treatment, Charlotte Robinson, 26, waived her right to anonymity to ensure victims receive help and counseling when and where they need it.

Mr Robinson, from Carmarthenshire, reported Raymond Hodges to police in 2016 and the following year the 71-year-old was jailed for 25 years for a number of offences.

The Welsh Government has announced the establishment of the Wales Sexual Assault Services Program to improve services.

“It was sexual, emotional and physical abuse,” Charlotte said.

“At first it wasn’t that bad, but by the age of seven it got worse, and from the age of nine onwards there was a lot of physical abuse and a lot of sexual abuse as well.”

“When I was 15, just before I turned 16, I managed to leave home. That’s when I started talking about what was happening to me and what had happened.”

Charlotte described the system as a “postcode lottery” and said the support available to her depended on where she lived.

“I managed to get a little counseling for a few weeks after the trial, but it tapered off after that.”

She said she had moved houses several times over the years but was never offered “adequate treatment for the flashbacks and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder” caused by the abuse.

“The NHS has only referred me for counseling sessions, but there will be an 18-month waiting list.”

“We didn’t have enough support for what we needed.”

Four years ago, Robinson contacted the Amman Valley mental health support group Shadows, which she says saved her life.

“I managed to get myself on the right medication, which was not prescribed to me before,” she said.

She was referred to the local mental health system for treatment.

“Although I am on the waiting list, it will be almost three years (in August) since I received IPTS, a specialist trauma treatment, and I still have flashbacks.

“When I wake up in the morning, my face is hot and I’m sweating. It’s difficult to go about my daily life.

“I’m about to start Compassionate Intensive Therapy. It’s a 10-week course to get me through waiting list time.”

Johanna Robinson, the Welsh Government’s national adviser on violence against women and domestic violence, said Ms Robinson’s story was not unique.

She said the situation was “holding back people’s recovery” and everyone should get “the help they need, when they need it, for how much they need it.”

“And if they don’t want it at all, they can come back and get back to it at that time,” she said.

But Joanna Robinson admitted there were also funding issues in making what needed to happen a reality.

“Who’s going to pay for it?” she said.

“There is investment in services, but unfortunately demand is outpacing that investment.”

She admits that “waiting lists are harmful” and that “we need to find ways to deal with it.”

This call was echoed by Sarah Thomas, head of sexual assault services at New Pathways, Wales’ largest counseling and advocacy service for survivors of rape and sexual abuse.

“People need the right professional counseling at the right time for them, rather than waiting on a waiting list. This is what people are doing and it’s not acceptable,” Thomas said. Ta.

“People start to adapt and find ways to cope, but unfortunately some of those ways are negative.

“People on waiting lists can feel forgotten or not important enough.

“As an organization, we have therefore considered a number of ways to improve the experience of victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse and ensure they have access to support while they wait. ”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said health boards had a responsibility to provide appropriate mental health support.

“We established the Wales Sexual Assault Services Program to improve services for victims of sexual assault,” they said.

“We also aim to improve the health and well-being of people of all ages who are at risk of developing or suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We are also funding the Aim for Traumatic Stress Wales.”

Meanwhile, Charlotte Robinson is hopeful that finally getting professional support will help her cope with the trauma of the abuse.

She said: “I need medication to help me sleep because I have flashbacks many times a day and nightmares that keep me awake at times.

“With support to minimize the symptoms of abuse, I can move forward.

“For a long time, I just lazed from day to day. I want to look at the bigger picture.”

More information about sexual abuse help and support is available from BBC Action Line.