A TRANSGENDER rape victim who believes she was attacked by notorious paedophile Robert Black has set up an organisation to help male survivors of sexual abuse.

The Middlesbrough Survivors organisation was set up by Stephanie Elliott Lowther, 46, to provide support and a listening ear to those who suffered childhood sexual abuse. She set up the organisation, which currently consists of a helpline and a website, after struggling to get the support she needed after her own ordeal. Ms Lowther said: “There are support services out there but in most cases you need a psychic and a radar to find them. They are not visible and in most cases do not offer the specific support needed by male survivors.

“With the recent Jimmy Savile allegations, a lot of people out there could be suffering triggers relating to their own experiences and this can cause dysfunctions in a person. You can change a life by offering this kind of support and there is a need for it to exist. National figures regarding male survivors of sexual abuse who do not come forward are shocking and that creates a waterfall of things. Without the right help, some victims turn to crime and drugs and may bring their own children up in a dysfunctional way. I wasted most of my adult life in a cloud of cannabis and my driving force now is that I think I could help someone else not have those wasted years.”

A public meeting to raise awareness of Middlesbrough Survivors and the services they offer will be held at the St Mary’s Centre in Middlesbrough on Wednesday October 24 from 6.30pm. The public will be given chance to have a say in the future of the organisation and to put themselves forward to join a steering committee. For more information about Middlesbrough Survivors or to offer support to the organisation, visit middlesbroughsurvivors.co.uk.