Big update on Rape Crisis legal challenge

[IamSarah]

I know many of you have been waiting for an update so first of all thank you for your patience and the many messages of support.

I am suing Survivors Network, the Sussex Rape Crisis service, as it refused to offer a single sex women’s group in addition to the mixed sex women’s groups. By mixed sex I mean inclusive of any males who identify as women.

I’ve been granted anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the case and it was submitted to Brighton County Court today.

I am being represented by law firm Didlaw and my Barrister is Naomi Cunningham (Chair of Sex Matters). So far they have acted pro bono which I am incredibly grateful for as it has taken a lot of time. The team are confident I have a good case but this is unchartered territory for women’s rights.

Many of you have very kindly offered to be involved and help with gardening. I don’t think I’m allowed to share details on here so please go to my Twitter page http://twitter.com/SarahSurviving/ which has all the info in a pinned post.

Of you’re not on Twitter feel free to send me a DM for more information on how you can help the case. Any publicity you can give the crowd funder would really help.

Thank you everyone.

Sarah x

As someone whose local rape crisis centre is also excluding women who need single sex services, due to the centre being utterly captured by adherence to gender ideology, I can't thank Sarah enough for taking this fight on and hope it will set a precedent. Even if her case fails (though I very much hope it succeeds), it will have put sunlight on the issue and more people will be aware that excluding women who need rape crisis services is a 'legitimate aim' in the eyes of people like DoM.

Yet again, Sarah is not asking for a single sex group instead of the multitude if groups available but as well as. Anyone who is against this perfectly reasonable request lays their agenda bare.

You cannot force a rape crisis centre to provide a service based on your needs.

It's not just my needs. Women who have been raped or sexually abused and need to be in a space free from males have literally nowhere to go.

There are lots of us, thousands of us, who have been fundamentally let down by women's services set up by women for women.

Over 2,000 have donated to my case. Do you really think it's just about one woman? Or could it be the human rights of all women?

DofM have you read this thread? So looking forward to reading your comments on there. This is where your ideology leads, obviously you are happy to stand up and say you don't give a fuck about harm caused to women, let's hear you defend the harm being caused to children. Or are you too busy harassing women who have been raped (which is also indefensible but you have no shame).

www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4502351-Dr-Michael-Webberley?reply=117492312

DoM, just fuck off please.

IamSarah, you have the support of many, many women and men! We are behind you every step of the way!

You are right @WildIris we don't need to keep engaging with someone who is showing exactly who he is with his very own posts, he's doing our work for us.

Ignore it @IamSarah we are all behind you

Interesting that DOM says about - it doesn't meet your needs. Therefore acknowledging it is a need.
Just proving how much they hate women

And here we see the misogyny inherent in the system.

(Come and see the misogyny inherent in the system!)

It's no skin off male noses for female needs to be met too . Insisting that they can't be cos it upsets males to know in another room, in another part of town, under bloody cover of darkness if you like, some females are getting their needs met in a situation that male people can't own, control and make all about them even though their needs are being completely met by all the available resources ?

Yeah, that's got nothing to do with diversity mate. We've had that t shirt since the bloody stone age.

@DisgustedofManchester Thank you so much.

You got this post bumped and added about another thousand to the fund.

@IamSarah Do you know if this hearing will be available to observe online? I understand if you don't want that, I was just wondering.

Is anyone else having trouble donating. My donation is fine all the way through until it asks me to confirm with my bank where it changes to £0.00. Not had this issue before. And it's not the crowd justice fee as I always change that to £0.00 and my Donation still usually goes through.

There's a note on Crowdfunder before that page - it does take your chosen amount but the £0 is just to check with your bank.

When you donate, you should get a notification window that says something along the lines of if you have to approve the payment with your bank or cardholder, the amount will appear as 0.00.

I've never noticed that before. I'll try again!

I love your posts @Artichokeleaves

You cannot force a rape crisis centre to provide a service based on your needs.

Of course not. Not of it conflicts with the wants of TW, whose needs were being met by other alternatives. Shame on you, you uppity women.

Now donated. Would have helped if I'd read the message properly rather skim reading it!

I'm wondering if DoM is my sister who is also disgusted in Manchester and hates women.

I think at some point it was revealed via Twitter, to no one's surprise, that DoM is a bloke, wasn't it?

You cannot force a rape crisis centre to provide a service based on your needs.

That's absolutely chilling. If a rape crisis centre doesn't provide a service based on the needs of a woman who's been raped, who does it provide a service for?

You cannot force a rape crisis centre to provide a service

You can force Sussex to fund a better provider, one who actually provides the service women need.

based on your needs.

Who else's needs should they be based on?

Anyway it's breezy and the sun is shining, lovely afternoon for a spot of gardening.

I think at some point it was revealed via Twitter, to no one's surprise, that DoM is a bloke, wasn't it?

Yep. Kevin.

If a rape crisis centre doesn't provide a service based on the needs of a woman who's been raped, who does it provide a service for?

@RoyalCorgi do you mind if I Tweet this?

Not at all - please do.

Sarah, I'm in the U.S., but your cause is for women everywhere who desperately need such an important service. I only wish my donation was larger. All the best to you!

@IamSarah I've just made a donation.

I have needed the services you needed. And I was so grateful that they were there.

I'm sorry that due to a shift in the perceptions and priorities of some that you were not able to access the same.

I've also gone through a lengthy legal process to get the recognition I was due over a SA matter. It was bloody expensive so I hope you raise all you need.

Good luck.

Boiled.

God I wish I didn't even need to say any of this message.