Now Visible

Making Space for the Voices of People

Born from Rape

For too long, people born from rape (PBR) have been a hidden community - silenced by stigma, left out of victim frameworks, and ignored by services and the law. Now, that’s changing.

NowVisible is a survivor-led organisation demanding recognition, rights, and support for people born from rape. Their work is paving the way for vital systemic change, rooted in the belief that no one should be left behind in conversations about justice, care, and healing.

At Make Yourself Heard, we’re proud to feature NowVisible’s work on our Noticeboard, amplifying their message, connecting survivors and allies, and pushing for collective action.

Who are people born from rape?

People born from rape include anyone conceived as a result of sexual violence. For decades, they have existed at the edges of policy, justice, and public awareness. Many have grown up with unanswered questions, hidden histories, and no formal recognition of their status as victims - despite being directly impacted by a violent crime.

NowVisible is working to change that narrative. Their mission is clear: to advocate for the rights, recognition, and support of people born from rape in law, services, and society.

A landmark shift: Daisy’s Law

Thanks to relentless advocacy, Daisy’s Law was introduced as part of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024. For the first time in UK law, individuals born as a result of criminal conduct are recognised as victims.

This means people born from rape now have:

• A statutory right to be acknowledged as victims

• The right to pursue a criminal complaint if they choose

• Access to criminal justice agencies and specialist support

But recognition on paper is only the first step. NowVisible is making sure that the spirit of the law is translated into meaningful, practical change - in services, systems, and society.

What NowVisible is fighting for

NowVisible’s work is wide-reaching, strategic, and deeply survivor-centred. Their goals include:

• Ensuring people born from rape can access their histories, seek justice, and receive support

• Driving improvements in how health and support services respond to their needs

• Helping the criminal justice system evolve to recognise PBR as key voices in historic rape investigations

• Working with frontline professionals to reduce stigma and build trauma-informed, inclusive systems of care

They’re also developing a helpline, online resources, legal pathways, and partnerships across policing, healthcare, and social care to ensure people born from rape are no longer invisible.

Make it stand out

Identifying gaps and driving change

Through advocacy, education, and research, NowVisible is exposing the cracks in existing systems and calling attention to what’s been missing:

• Evidence use: Many PBR carry genetic links to rapists. NowVisible is working to ensure that DNA can be used, with consent, to support rape prosecutions.

• Support access: PBR and their families often face barriers when trying to access mental health care, identity support, or information about their conception. NowVisible is demanding better pathways and compassionate responses.

• Stigma reduction: Language matters. NowVisible’s first campaign, Language Without Stigma, calls on institutions to stop using dehumanising and harmful terminology when referring to people born from rape.

Training and collaboration

NowVisible delivers training to professionals across healthcare, social care, and the justice system to improve understanding and responses to PBR. Their training is grounded in lived experience and focuses on building trauma-informed, victim-centred approaches that are respectful, nuanced, and rights-based.

They are also forming partnerships with other national and international organisations, survivors, researchers, and policymakers - working together to strengthen support, raise awareness, and demand accountability.

Why it matters

Too often, the stories and needs of people born from rape are erased. Services don’t know how to respond. Laws don’t recognise them. Systems aren’t designed to meet their needs. And the silence around their existence only deepens the isolation.

NowVisible is breaking that silence - and calling on others to do the same.

Their research will shine light on the long-term impacts of being born from rape -  from mental health challenges and identity struggles to the wider social, emotional, and economic costs. That evidence will help shape better services, better policy, and a stronger case for systemic change.