Children’s charity Barnardo's is under fire after a letter was revealed showing a worker blaming a 16-year-old rape victim for her attack.

 

The girl, who lived in accommodation provided by Barnardo’s, had been hanging out with a group of men, who gave her drugs and alcohol.

 

When she woke up, she was naked and had no memory of what had happened.

 

The letter, written in 1993, claims that “the situation could have been avoided if [she] had not been party to the antics of a group of young men.”

 

“Having consumed a quantity of alcohol and three valium tablets [she] was not able to maintain control or respond to the situation in a constructive and cohesive way."

 

The victim, now aged 37, has spoken out about her ordeal.

 

“Their response was that basically it was my fault,” she said. “I need to pull myself together a bit more and not let grown men into the house even though they told me I had to get on with the neighbours.”

 

“It was fairly conflicting the information I was given. I was barely 16, I had no idea about anything really. When I saw this letter I was quite shocked, I was devastated – they were the people I trusted.”

 

“I think the whole thing concerns me, I don’t know why this wasn’t acted upon and if this wasn’t, what else wasn’t acted upon?”

 

Barnardo’s expressed their shock at the contents of the letter.

 

“The view that any child is responsible for their own sexual assault is wrong and totally unacceptable,” a spokesperson for the charity said.

 

“This woman has been very brave in bringing this issue to light. It must have been a very difficult and distressing step to have taken after so many years.”

 

“Barnardo’s takes this very seriously and we will fully investigate.”

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