Sexual assault helpline reports surge in calls during ‘Surviving R Kelly’ documentary

‘Shows like this can make survivors feel more likely to be believed’

A sexual assault helpline reported an increase in calls during the airing of the Surviving R Kelly documentary.

The six-part series, which premiered on US channel Lifetime on 3 January, recounts the multiple allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct that R Kelly has faced, all of which he has denied.

During the showing of the first episode, the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) saw a drastic rise in the number of calls being made to the National Sexual Assault Hotline, which offers survivors of sexual assault confidential support from a trained professional.

The helpline received 27 per cent more calls on that Thursday than the same day the previous week, the organisation told The Daily Beast.

On the day the first episode of the documentary aired, RAINN tweeted: “Watching or reading about Surviving R. Kelly and need to talk? The National Sexual Assault Hotline is here 24/7”, and added a link to the helpline.

The network also recorded an increase in calls when Christine Blasey Ford testified against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in court in September 2018, when she spoke about an alleged incident of sexual abuse that took place when she was 15 and he was 17.

When the hearing occurred, RAINN saw the number of calls being made to the helpline soar by 147 per cent.

According to Katie Russell, spokesperson for Rape Crisis England and Wales, this pattern is very common when programmes shown on TV refer to sensitive themes such as sexual assault.

“Through our experience we tend to see a spike to our specialist helplines from victims and survivors of sexual violence when there are documentaries or fiction TV dramas covering these topics,” she tells The Independent.

“Sometimes we can see that as a positive thing, because often victims and survivors don’t talk about what’s happened to them, which can lead to them feeling isolated and ashamed.

“Something like this can make them feel less alone and more likely to be believed.”

Russell notes that watching a programme like Surviving R Kelly can also trigger painful memories and make survivors of sexual abuse feel as though they’re reliving their distressing experiences.

“This speaks to the importance of handling these topics sensitively and making sure, most importantly, that there are clear warnings before a programme airs about the kind of content it contains,” she says.

“It’s not a case of shielding survivors from content, but a case of making them decide whether or not to watch.”

Russell emphasises the importance of including the contact details for support organisations throughout and after these programmes, stressing that the need and demand for these services are "not going away".

The first episode of Surviving R Kelly is going to air in the UK on 5 February on the Crime + Investigation channel.

You can contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline by calling 0808 802 9999. The helpline is open from 12pm-2.30pm and 7pm-9.30pm daily.