PLANS for a £5 million centre for child and adult sex assault victims which the authorities hope will increase historically low conviction rates have today been lodged by the government.
The purpose-built facility would enable victims to get the care and support they need in the aftermath of an attack.
Crucially, the centre would house a range of services which would ensure that the victim would have to go through the ordeal of giving their account of the assault only once.
The new centre, which would be built on the corner of Bagatelle Road and Bagatelle Lane in St Saviour and replace the Dewberry House Sexual Assault Referral Centre which opened in 2017, would provide:
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A space designed specifically for children to make the criminal justice processes child-friendly.
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Access to forensic medical care and health support for adults and children.
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Trauma support.
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Support for victims going through the court process.
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Dedicated talking rooms where victims can speak to the States police in video-recorded interviews about what has happened to them.
The centre will be home to the Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Jersey Victims First, and Jersey Domestic and Sexual Abuse Support.
The Justice and Home Affairs Department, which has submitted the plans, says that Dewberry House, which was opened in 2017 following a recommendation from the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry, has been deemed no longer fit for purpose.
Detective Superintendent Alison Fossey, head of crime for the States police, said: ‘A new and improved facility is definitely going to help.
‘For us, the partnership between police and the other services is very important, because that’s the way we keep victims engaged going forward and hopefully we will see more cases successful at court.’
The centre is designed as a ‘route to the criminal justice process’, she added.
‘There is the option to report to the police if you want, and in that process, to be supported by independent sexual abuse advisers.’
Earlier this year, the JEP reported that during 2021 and 2022, there were no rape convictions in the Island.
Since 2018, 3,167 ‘violence against women and girls’ offences have been reported to the police, but only 24% have resulted in a conviction.
Det Supt Fossey said the new centre was an ‘integral part’ of the push to improve convictions.
Home Affairs Minister Helen Miles said: ‘The relocation of Dewberry House provides Jersey with a bespoke facility which will ensure victims are at the heart of Jersey’s criminal-justice system and allows them to access proper support in one safe space and to help their journey of healing.’
Laura Osmand, service manager for Dewberry House, added: ‘I believe children should have their own space away from adults, which is accommodated for in the new site. One of our top priorities is bringing all the agencies under one service to be able to put a child at the heart of that process.’
The funding has come from the Criminal Offences Confiscation Fund, which Deputy Miles said was ‘restorative for victims’.
If plans are approved, the project team hope that the centre will be open by May 2025.
Sarah Hamon, service manager for Jersey Domestic Abuse Support, said: ‘The main thing, apart from us not re-traumatising people by having to tell their story to several different people in several different locations, not all of which are purpose-built and trauma-informed, is that being under one roof will make professionals more efficient, which in turn will enable a smoother journey for victims.’
