A DECISION to halt funding for a sexual violence support clinic has left a large number of vulnerable Teessiders “ostracised” and cut off, according to a report.

The Ministry of Justice opted not to fund counselling at Eva Women’s Aid, in Redcar, last year which helps victims of rape and sexual abuse recover from trauma.

Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger has stepped in to give the service £40,500 to help the charity until March 2020.

But reports prepared for the latest Cleveland police and crime panel showed its future beyond then remained uncertain.

Mr Coppinger branded the MoJ’s decision “extremely short-sighted” at the latest panel meeting in Hemlington (February 4).

The Labour commissioner said: “I think it’s extremely unfair and deeply unwise because that service in Redcar was just as essential.

“If we think about the geography of that area beyond Redcar, I think it’s extremely impractical to expect residents as far away as East Cleveland to travel into Middlesbrough to receive counselling.

“To retain Middlesbrough and Redcar bases would have been far more sensible.”

Eva Women’s Aid has provided sexual violence support services and counselling to hundreds of women and young people across Redcar and Cleveland since 2014.

Its counselling service used to receive money from the Rape Support Fund.

However, changes to the funding process last year meant the charity had to compete and bid for this pot of money up to 2022.

The crime panel report added: “Unfortunately, Eva was not successful in this competitive process – leaving their counselling service at risk of closing and an infinite number of vulnerable victims ostracised and unable to access vital services – especially those within rural communities.”

Still open – but uncertainty over counselling

Richinda Taylor, CEO of EVA Women’s Aid, said the MoJ grant made up 15% of the charity’s funding and other strands of its work would continue as normal.

But she confirmed there was uncertainty about the future of its counselling service after April.

She added: “We’re not closing and there will still be a large number of services available but, at the moment, there is still uncertainty surrounding counselling.

“We are the only organisation in the area which supports victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence.

“The MoJ has been quite resolute that they are not going to revisit their decision.

“I’m talking to the police and crime commissioner about funding but, again, there is uncertainty about whether they’ll be able to fund anything after April.”

‘Not taken lightly’

Cleveland Police recorded 19,657 domestic abuse-related incidents in 2018/19.

Figures from that year also showed there was a higher rate of sex offenders on Teesside than anywhere else in the country.

The MoJ granted funding to the ARCH North East, in Middlebrough, last year and Mr Coppinger told the crime panel ARCH provided an “excellent service”.

The commissioner added he’d passed on his concerns about Eva Women’s Aid with new Redcar MP Jacob Young and Redcar and Cleveland Council leader Mary Lanigan.

Mr Coppinger said: “It’s an issue the council and the local MP need to come back to because those sexual counselling services are really important to that area.”

Former Redcar MP Anna Turley criticised the funding decision in Parliament last April.

At the time, the then justice minister Edward Argar said Arch North East would cover the whole of Cleveland. It was pointed out Arch was nine miles from Redcar town centre.

He added that the decision was “not taken lightly” but that he would not be revisiting the decision.

After the crime panel, a spokesman for the MoJ said: “Victims of rape and sexual violence show immense courage in coming forward – and they must have confidence that the right support will be there when it is needed.

“That is why we fund the nearby centre in Arch North East, and gave the police and crime commissioner for Cleveland more than £650,000 to support local victims.”