Glasgow's rape crisis centre has been left "heartbroken" after being forced to close waiting lists for two specialist services.
Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis (GCRC) have announced that they will close new referrals to waiting lists for the emotional therapeutic support and triage service and RUBY service from 8am this morning (February 17).
They said the decision has been made to support the 182 survivors who are currently waiting for the services, amounting to a waiting period of up to 226 days.
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Announcing the news on X, the organisation said: "We are truly heartbroken as a full staff team to have to make this decision, as demand for our services continues to increase."
It comes after we previously reported GCRC warned of a "west of Scotland bias" amid warnings of chronic underfunding and said its services were at risk of closure without "urgent and adequate" financial investment.
Staff have been lobbying the Scottish Government and Rape Crisis Scotland, which administers the funds, for additional support as demand soars, but told our sister title The Herald there has been "no real movement".
The Scottish Government allocated £2,012,872 to Rape Crisis Scotland to provide advocacy support to survivors in the justice system.
GCRC’s allocation from the national organisation was £171,000 in 2024-25, with similar funding levels continuing in subsequent years.
Glasgow’s allocation was made up to £181,336 after underspends by other centres were redistributed.
However, despite being Scotland’s largest rape crisis centre, serving six local authority areas, it receives just over an eighth of the entire fund.
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A statement shared on their website today about the decision to close the waiting lists said: "Despite our best efforts to seek additional funding from the grant allocated by the Scottish Government under the Delivering Equally Safe fund to rape crisis centres and other violence against women and girls’ organisations in Scotland, for the 2026/27 financial year, GCRC has been advised that our grant award will stand still for the upcoming year.
"This is devastating for everyone involved with GCRC and could mean that up to 1522 survivors across Glasgow and Clyde will not be able to receive the specialist support they rely on to heal and reclaim their lives following rape and sexual violence.
"Support that only we at GCRC can and do provide."
A formal review of the decision is scheduled to take place on Monday, March 30.
Claudia Macdonald-Bruce, the director of GCRC, previously told our sister title The Herald: "Anyway you cut it, we’re being underserved and underinvested in.
"There’s rising rapes and reporting of sexual violence.
"Glasgow is still the most unsafe city in Scotland.
"The evidence is there on the need and for us, we’re not really understanding why there’s such an apathy to fully invest and support survivors in the west of Scotland.
"It feels like there is potentially some sort of inherent west of Scotland bias playing out here or there’s just not the understanding that’s needed about the demand we have."
Sally Brindley, chief executive of Rape Crisis Scotland, said there was "no way" to provide additional resources without taking them away from elsewhere.
She said: "We agree that there needs to be additional support and that it should be based on the need for services in each area of the country.
"Earlier this year, we wrote to the Scottish Government to ask for increased advocacy funding for all rape crisis centres, proportionate to each local service’s individual demands."
GCRC's helpline will remain open for general guidance and support via 08088 00 00 14 and information can be accessed at www.glasgowclyderapecrisis.org.uk.
Support can also be reached at the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 08088 10 03 02 and the Sexual Assault Self-Referral Centre (SARC) Glasgow on 0800 148 88 88.
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