Slough rape victim centre to open at Upton hospital

The first specialist centre in Berkshire for victims of rape and sexual assault is opening on 1 April.

The Sexual Assault Referral Centre will open in Upton hospital, Slough.

It will offer victims counselling, help from doctors and legal advice under one roof, without having to report the crime to police first.

Nearly 600 women in Berkshire have reported being raped or sexually assaulted since April 2010.

The Slough Sarc is the 23rd centre to open in the country.

Rape victim and campaigner Jill Saward said the specialist centre is welcome because it is vital that authorities involved understand what a victim is going through.

"People always have an expectation of how victims should react but victims often react very differently," she said.

"It can be very confusing when you're being asked lots of different questions by police or you're trying to remember in what order things happened."

She added: "If you're not experienced and you don't have the understanding and appreciation of how a victim is, that can be very difficult and very damaging."