SURVIVORS of sexual violence are being encouraged to share their views of the support they received to help improve services across the region.

The Sexual Violence review has been commissioned by the Deputy Police Commissioner, Cllr Emily Spurrell, in partnership with NHS England to examine the extent and nature of sexual violence in the region, map the services which are available to support those who have been subjected to such crimes and ensure they are easy to access.

Emily said: “This survey is a crucial part of our inquiry and I would urge anyone, both men and women, who have experienced any form of sexual violence who feels strong enough to take part to please share their views and experiences with us.

“We want to hear about your journey, whether you reported it to the police or not, and the path you took to accessing support to see how that process is working and whether it is working effectively.

"We know there is room for improvement. At the moment, far too many people do not get the support they need and deserve.

“Sadly, sexual violence remains far too prevalent in our society. Through this review we hope to better understand the nature and extent of sexual violence in our region and establish a baseline from which we can monitor and assess the work we do in future years.

"It has the potential to help make a real difference in the lives of victims and survivors and I hope many people will take part in this survey.

"By doing so, you will be playing your part in helping to improve the experience of other victims of sexual violence in the future.”

The review has been carried out by Liverpool John Moores University’s Public Health Institute, and is reaching out to survivors to hear about their journey following an incident.

This includes how they were treated within the criminal justice system and the extent to which the support they were offered met their needs.

Anyone with personal experience of sexual misconduct, such as harassment, sexual exploitation and all forms of sexual violence are asked to take part in a survey by clicking here.

The survey is completely anonymous and confidential and will be open until mid-April.

The inquiry was launched in November to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and is expected to be concluded by April 2019.