Rape victim issues warning over Oxfordshire helpline closure

Amanda Makoka received support from Oxfordshire Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre 29 years after she was raped

A rape victim has waived her right to anonymity to warn of the "shocking" closure of a phone support line.

Amanda Makoka contacted Oxfordshire Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre (OSARCC) 29 years after being attacked.

The 49-year-old said its listening service closing for a year from 28 July meant others like her would not get the support they desperately needed.

The charity's CEO said the "hard decision" was made so that OSARCC could survive.

Ms Makoka was sexually assaulted at the age of 15 while asleep at a party by a man who was in his 20s.

"After that he continued to sexually abuse me for four years," Ms Makoka said.

In 2018 she found the strength to seek help after attending a conference about protective behaviours for children and hearing one of the speakers' abuse story.

"I broke down and couldn't carry any longer the guilt and the shame knowing that he was out there, possibly harming other people," she said.

"When I first contacted OSARCC's listening service, someone immediately answered the phone and organised a meeting with an independent sexual violence advisor."

Her case took four years to go to court, and during that time Ms Makoka received support and counselling, which she described as being "very much needed."

The charity CEO Lauren Kendall said pausing their phone helpline was "a really hard decision"

In December 2022, her attacker was finally jailed for the attacks but Ms Makoka said she did not think she would "ever really get closure".

"I got a life sentence, but I can finally live again and become a survivor, not a victim anymore," she said.

Now the helpline that has been running since 1979 is pausing for a year from 28 July while funding is sought.

Ms Makoka said she found the decision "shocking and concerning".

"Thankfully, I got the support - but for other people, if there isn't someone to answer their call when they are ready, in 18 months or a year's time, it would be too late," she said.

"It took me 29 years to report what had happened to me. If there was no one to answer my call, it may have been another 29 years before I ever said anything."

'Volunteers are devastated'

OSARCC said it has helped 1,800 people across Oxfordshire in the past financial year.

Demand for its services has increased by 45% but their budget has dropped by £200,000.

The charity's CEO Lauren Kendall said the limited funding meant they "had to weigh up the pros and cons" of what needed their support the most.

"Our volunteers are devastated that the service they've worked on tirelessly is being paused," Ms Kendall said.

"It is a really hard decision that we made so that OSARCC could survive this difficult time."

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