A NEW rape support centre has opened for Gwynedd residents as statistics unveil a sex offence is reported ‘every five hours’.

The Rape and Sexual Assault Support Centre North Wales has moved into new premises in Bangor and will be officially opened by Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones next month (9 February).

RASASC NW have also set up a specialist Children Centre based in Bangor but with additional outreach centres available across North Wales, for children from 3 years of age.

This means that RASASC NW can offer specialist therapy free of charge to anyone from 3 years of age.

Fflur Emlyn, assistant manager at the facility, explained: “We offer support to men and women who have experienced any form of sexual violence which includes, recent rape, historic rape, child sexual abuse and multiple assaults.

“Our new centre has disabled access, parking and toilet, four counselling rooms - one specially equipped with play therapy equipment for children -, a training room, volunteer room and office space.

“During 2016 – 2017 RASASC NW received 432 new referrals, 373 of which were females and 59 male, this is in addition to the client base the organisation was already supporting.

“Our referral rates have increased over recent years as a result of the increased publicity around rape and historic sexual abuse in the UK as a result of the Jimmy Savile Scandal, and most recently the historic sexual abuse within Football Academies.

“In North Wales, there has also been enquiries into care homes for historic sexual abuse which also has been publicised and this could be reflected in the increasing referral rates seen by these organisations in the last few years.

“Also, North Wales has one of the UK’s highest number of recorded rapes over the last two years - with a major increase in historic allegations.

“The HMIC Rape Monitoring Group Report up to March 2013 showed there were 30.3 recorded crimes per 100,000 of the population in North Wales.

“This compared to a national average reporting rate of 22.

“On average, a sex offence was reported every five hours up to September 2016, and in total there were 1,694 complaints made to the North Wales force - an increase of 38 per cent.”

The new centre is located at Uned 11, Llys Yr Onnen, Parc Menai, Bangor.

For more information, please visit www.rasawales.org.uk or call 01248 670 628.