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The number of men and boys coming forward to police with allegations of rape more than doubled in five years with a spike in the same year the football coaching abuse scandal hit.

Official figures reveal thousands of men, and boys under 16, have come forward to make allegations of rape to Scotland Yard.

Since the start of 2013, more than 3,100 males have reported rape in London to the police.

In 2013 alone, 339 males came forward to speak to officers, but in 2017 this number more than doubled to 760.

And in 2016, the year brave ex-footballers revealed they had been sexually abused by coaches as boys, the increase of men and boys reporting crimes was at its highest, as 150 more came forward than the year before.

Detective Chief Inspector Neil Rawlinson said he noticed the large spike in reports, but said it would be “speculative” to say the footballer’s abuse scandal was the only reason for it.

He added it “may” have been the reason for it, but said: “There’s been a massive change in attitude regarding acceptance in society.”

He added that high-profile discussions of sexual assault, like the #MeToo movement, LGBT issues and men’s mental health is also being more widely discussed and could have contributed.

Andy Woodward, the first footballer to speak about being abused by paedophile coach Barry Bennell, said there was a “movement” happening now, with men talking more openly.

The 45-year-old said: “I think people have had enough and I think it’s like a movement, people feel a relief that they’re not on their own.”

Mr Woodward said speaking publicly about the horrendous abuse he endured as a boy has been “life-changing”.

In November 2016 the former Crewe Alexandra player spoke out about being a survivor of sexual abuse by Bennell.

After coming forward, what was described as a “tidal wave” of more survivors spoke publicly too.

Mr Woodward said: “Speaking for me personally, I had just had enough and I just thought I’ve got to do something. I put my whole life on the line, my family’s life on the line, it was a very difficult situation.”

He added that he’s received “hundreds” of messages of support and heard other victims' stories from all over the world in the past two years.

Bennell was jailed for 31 years earlier this year, for 50 counts of sexual abuse.

Steve Walters, who became Crew Alexandra’s youngest debutant in 1988, said he wanted to come forward after seeing Mr Woodward’s account.

He said: “I was thinking that part of life is the same as mine.”

After coming forward, Mr Walters said: “I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders, I feel like a new person, it was the first step in rebuilding the rest of my life.”

He added: “I can look people in the eye now, I don’t feel ashamed anymore.”

Since the abuse, Mr Walters said he had suffered with sleep deprivation and panic attacks, before “people even knew or spoke about what panic attacks were,” he said.

Now, he says, it’s “brilliant” that more people are breaking the silence.

He said: “I know there has been a spike in males coming forward. I’ve spoken to hundreds of male survivors since then and I know there’s so many who want to speak out.”

He added: “I know how difficult it is, but men are coming forward and society and people accepting it is happening.”

While Mr Woodward said it was encouraging more people were speaking to officers, both in London and in the rest of the county, he said if survivors aren’t ready to speak to police, it is still beneficial if they tell someone.

He said: “It’s just letting go of that silence, it can drive you insane, it really can. It’s that feeling of wondering if someone would believe you. I’ve got it off my chest now, but I held on to that silence for a long time.

“It can be catastrophic, if you don’t let go of it.”

Boxer Callum Hancock, also publicly spoke about being raped, as a 10-year-old boy.

The 27-year-old said he was abused and attacked by a teen bully, Jason Lyttle, who lived near him as a child.

Lyttle, has since been jailed for his crimes, but subjected Mr Hancock to terrifying attacks.

Mr Hancock said he believes more men are speaking out because “these conversations are happening now.”

He said since reports about the football abuse scandal and plot lines on soaps, it has spurred others to talk.

He said: “When I was silent, I thought I can’t be the only one this is happening to. I thought if I want to break [through] this, I’ve got to be speaking with people that have gone through it too.”

Mr Hancock, from Sheffield, added: “We’ve got to get across to men that it’s ok to speak. Since the footballers’ abuse came out, since [the storyline on] Coronation Street came out, Hollyoaks and the rest of it, there’s been a huge increase [of people coming forward] as a result.

“I think it’s absolutely crucial, in moving forward, that men are able to say that they can speak out. A male is a father, a brother, a son and like anyone else, a human.”

For Callum, he said he chose to tell someone after the shocking suicide of a friend.

He said: “I knew I could no longer go on living the way I was living. I knew I was either going to end up in an early grave or behind bars. The thought of speaking out was scarier than suicide or murder. It was an easier option for me.

“My parents asked what’s up with you, I had been isolating myself and I no longer wanted to be around family, friends. I was about 23 or 24 at the time.”

He added: “The final nail in the coffin was when a close friend committed suicide and I thought ‘I’m coming to join you soon’.

“I thought he’s taken something to the grave that no one knows about. It was a harsh wake up call, I saw his family [at the funeral] and I thought I couldn’t do that to mine, I thought there’s got to be a better way.”

Speaking to the police, Mr Hancock explained, was “life-changing”. He said he was “welcomed” by officers who did their best to sensitively help him.

DCI Rawlinson said: “The biggest issue is that people don’t think they will be believed or taken seriously.”

He added: “I would tell [anyone] to come and talk to us or talk to someone you trust. The message is that we will listen to you, we will take you seriously.”

Mr Woodward said he hopes the movement of males reporting sexual crimes to the police and speaking continues.

He said: “Future generations should not have a fear they have to live with it. It will be about them and about the future generations of change.”

Mr Walters said his message would be: “Just come forward, report them, call the police, call the NSPCC. That perpetrator has not been caught and we’ve got to get them all off the streets. It’s way too much for a person to carry on their own.”

Mr Hancock is a volunteer member of Survivors Manchester, a survivor-led and run voluntary organisation that aims to facilitate a safe space for male survivors of sexual abuse and rape.

Steve is a director of The Offside Trust, a charity that supports fellow survivors and works to safeguard children. He said the charity is open for people to make contact and offers help with the policing process.

The National Male Survivors helpline is 0808 800 5005.

Offside Trust is an independent body of work that works alongside clubs, organisations and charitable bodies. Information about the charity can he found at http://www.offsidetrust.com/

The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is a charity dedicated to preventing male suicide, the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK. For more information, visit thecalmzone.net.

Survivors Manchester is a survivor-led/survivor-run voluntary organisation that aims to create and facilitate a safe space for male survivors of sexual abuse and rape to work through personal and sometimes painful issues. http://www.survivorsmanchester.org.uk/