DigitalMe: The Power of People’s Stories
*Trigger warning* this article and the associated film discusses rape and survivors’ experience of the criminal justice system.
We believe you. At a woman’s most vulnerable point, after a rape or sexual assault, those words are extremely important. Unfortunately, in many cases, women hear the opposite and this lack of belief contributes to some depressing statistics.
67,169 rapes were recorded by police in 2022.
By the end of the year, charges had been brought in just 1,276 (1.9%) of these cases.
(source: rapecrisis.org.uk/get-informed/statistics-sexual-violence)
Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland (RCTN) offers independent advice and support to women and girls at every stage of their journey through the criminal justice system and this support starts with ‘We believe you’. One lesser known aspect of cases is the gathering and use of third party material which is evidence from your phone, for example texts or WhatsApp conversations. It can also be material from your medical or social records.
Laura Caithness, an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) explains why there’s a need to focus on this aspect of rape cases:
“We chose to highlight the aspect of third-party material because the women we work with often tell us how confusing it is. We know from our work that people aren't always given the right advice at the right time. Knowing your rights can be really overwhelming in an already complicated process so we wanted to create a film to support people and help them to have a better understanding of what to expect and where to get more support if they need it.”
The majority of our DigitalMe films feature people’s lived experiences and are often told by the individuals themselves, with an avatar to protect their anonymity. For RCTN, this time, we have used a different process.
In this case a writer scripts a story based on real experiences, not telling one person’s lived experience but expressing the collective experiences of multiple survivors. This was developed in close consultation with Laura so that all facts are accurate and that the fictionalised account still represents real women and their real experiences.
RCTN will use the film on their website and across their social media channels as well as using it as a resource during outreach and training sessions.
As Ava, the character in our film says,
“I’m not saying any of this to frighten you, I just want other women to know what it’s like so that you’re armed with more information about your rights than I was.”
Here are some organisations that can help and support you or anyone you know:
Rape Crisis Tyneside & Northumberland, https://rctn.org.uk/
https://rapecrisis.org.uk/ offers 24/7 help
Rights of Women: https://rightsofwomen.org.uk/
Support Through Court: https://www.supportthroughcourt.org/
If a DigitalMe animation could help your organisation convey an important message, please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.