Staffordshire sexual abuse charity fears future

“Not talking about it creates a barrier. You isolate yourself because you carry this secret inside you.”

Andy Watts stands proudly in front of a wall of his paintings and sketches at the Brewhouse Arts Centre in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire.

It is his first public appearance since his tormentor’s imprisonment. And it is the first time that Mr Watts has spoken on camera about his experiences.

On the left side are self-reflective portraits depicting human suffering: a young person crouching with his hands in front of his face and the image of a being protected by a lioness.

On the right, bright, multi-colored paintings of animals, strong and brave.

In the late 1990s, Andy was raped and sexually assaulted by Alun Kyte – a man nicknamed the “Midlands Ripper” – after he murdered two sex workers in Staffordshire.

Andy was lured into his home with the promise of toys before attacking him. It was a five-year campaign of abuse.

“There was a serious threat that he would come after my family if I told anyone, and you’re holding things back.

“Kids are pretty resilient and try to push it away and not think about it. But as you grow up, it’s still there and you don’t have the brain elasticity of a kid to just shut it down and move on.”

The 44-year-old is waiving his right to anonymity to draw attention to the financial plight of a charity that helped him “find his voice.”

The Sexual Abuse Rape Advice Centre (SARAC), based in Burton-upon-Trent, has supported hundreds of survivors of sexual abuse from the age of eleven.

But as the charity celebrates its 30th anniversary, it is struggling to raise funding at a time when demand for its services is soaring in Staffordshire and Derbyshire.

Over the past two years, 193 young people aged 11 to 18 have been supported and 120 adults have received personal advice.

A further 300 people have requested support in the last 12 months.

However, public and private funds will soon run out, giving rise to the possibility that services will be outsourced and staff laid off.

“We currently have reserves for six to nine months of running costs,” says Catherine Miles, Managing Director of SARAC.

“We submit grant applications weekly and look for additional opportunities.

“The bottom line is that if we don’t get something done quickly, we’ll have to stop what we’re currently doing, potentially close our waiting list, and people will have to look elsewhere.”

Andy Watts supports the bid to attract new funding from local businesses in Burton. A partnership could provide these businesses with training on mental health and sexual abuse.

He told me that the charity supported him throughout the criminal proceedings, helping him to give his account of the abuse to the police and also providing him with post-trial counselling.

“When he (Kyte) was convicted there was a strong sense of closure but that doesn’t go away, it’s always there but you feel like you’re believed.

“I went and told people what happened and they believed me.

“Without SARAC, I would not have been able to speak so openly with the police about it.”

Mr Watts expressed hope that the new government would keep its election promise and improve support for victims.

There are also plans to set up special teams in all police stations to combat rape and sexual crimes.

“We need to educate people; the victims are faced with a lot of shame.

“There is also a lot of (government) support for the perpetrators and the victims are supported by charities and that should not be the case.”

Catherine Miles, chief executive of SARAC, said she was proud of Mr Watts’ journey and hoped his story would encourage others and make them feel they could turn to him for advice or direct support.

But now there is a need for haste, as the aid organisation’s current reserves will only last until 2025.

“At the moment there seem to be fewer opportunities for funding and many more charities need it, so basically it’s a balance between supply and demand.

“Unfortunately, we now have to speak to our board about the contractual use of the service and consider terminating the contracts of some of our employees.”