Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis back calls for safer city

From the moment a survivor, who has made the courageous decision to report their attack, makes an initial complaint to police, it can, on average, take up to four years for an outcome.

Dione Weir, deputy director of Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis (GCRC), noted that this is also only for cases that meet the “evidential threshold” for prosecution. It is understood that many do not even get to that stage as ‘rape is committed in private’.

During the waiting period, Dione says many survivors have told GCRC that the longer it goes on, the more “they don’t feel listened to” and are “unable to move on”.

This is said to be having devastating effects on the lives of survivors, their families, and loved ones.

Dione said: “Some survivors do report right away, but we know it’s wholly unreported across the UK – under 50% report.

“It can take survivors up to a year before they come to us for help and support; that is just the first step.

“They then have to decide whether going through the process of the justice system is going to help them to heal, if it’s an outcome they need, or whether the emotional toll and the re-traumatisation that we know exists with that is worth it, and is that going to help them to be able to move on?

“On average, we’re seeing it can take up to four years from the start of reporting it until it goes right the way through.

“There’s then a period of months or up to a year or even more than a year, depending on how much police have to look into.

“So while officers do that, survivors have to sit and wait. If our waiting lists were open, they would get emotional and therapeutic support to help them through the wait, but unfortunately and devastatingly, our waiting list has been shut since February 2026.

“During that time, we know some of the survivors won’t even be here to see justice being done because of what’s happened to them."

READ NEXT:

Earlier this week, the Glasgow Times reported that rape cases have increased in areas all over the city in the past two years.

Last week, we also revealed that there have been 485 cases of rape/attempted rape in Glasgow between July 2025 and June 2026.

The Glasgow Times has since launched the Action Not Words campaign calling for a city that is safe for women and girls.

Action Not Words campaign graphic (Image: Damian Shields)

We stated that: “While those figures are alarming, they show the problem is far wider than the city centre, with 84% of reports taking place in homes and communities across Glasgow, and taken together with the increase in domestic violence, Glasgow as a whole has a problem with male violence against women.”

Discussing what GCRC believes needs to be done to address the backlog of sexual offence cases, Dione highlighted that it’s “not just a matter of funding, it’s about prevention.”

The organisation would like to see infrastructure put in place to support those going through the justice system and ensure they receive adequate support.

READ NEXT:

She added: “The months in between, getting updates, asking for more information, it can take survivors right back to that night or day.

“The memory of repeated attacks and sexual violence is devastating for them. They are then punished further by putting them through this process without support.

“GCRC is the largest in Scotland. We joined with three others to form the Scottish Rape Crisis Alliance (SRCA), and we are pushing not just for funding because it’s not just a matter of funding; it’s about prevention. 

“At SRCA we estimate that an increase of £875,000 is needed to fulfil current demand through the extension funding periods until 2028.

“Being there, giving them adequate support, the basics that they deserve, and I mean the absolute basics, so we’re pushing the Scottish Government to recognise the scale of the issue right across the board and declare it a public health issue, taking the same approach that they’ve taken to other campaigns in the past.

“Drink driving, seat belt wearing, smoking in public places, all of these had massive campaigns behind them, and they changed societal norms and people’s behaviours.”

Dione continued: “At no point during the drink driving campaign did they tell safe drivers who don’t drink to stay off the roads, but that’s what we continue to do with women and girls in Scotland.

“All the onus is put on them. The infrastructure needs to be put in place. We need to start being honest about the epidemic of violence and sexual violence against women; 95% of victims of sexual crime where the gender is known were women and girls.

“We’re continuing to fail them.”