Inspirational award for rape charity founder

Wednesday 11 March 2015

A brave rape survivor who spoke out and started a campaign to support other local victims of sexual assault is Jersey’s Inspirational Woman of the Year.

Cassidy McIntosh set up Jersey Action Against Rape earlier this year with part of the court settlement she won from her attacker.

The 27–year old was raped by a man who had been a trusted friend of her family while her parents were away on holiday back in 2012.

The police couldn’t get enough evidence to mount a criminal prosecution so the 27 year old became the first person in the Island to take a civil action for rape to the Jersey courts.

Her attacker settled the case 11 months later, paying her over £150,000 in damages and legal costs and she’s used the money to help to provide a dedicated service for survivors of rape and sexual assault on the island.

Extrapolating from UK figures, there are thought to be around 800 sexual assaults on women and 130 on men every single year in Jersey – but in 2012 only 12 rapes were reported to the States of Jersey Police.

Over 200 people were there to see Cassidy pick up her award on Friday at the Women’s Day Breakfast at the Radisson Blu Hotel. The event was organised by the Jersey Women’s Refuge.

Pam Evans, founder of Driving for the Disabled Jersey and Sara Crocker from the Grace Crocker Family Support Foundation were this year’s runners up for the prize sponsored by Barclays.

The theme of this year’s breakfast was “gender equality” and this year the charity called for more men to go along to the event and show support for its mission to end violence against women and girls.