We are concerned about David Panter's comments about Brighton Rape Crisis Project (BRCP).

In implying that BRCP does not have a coherent child protection policy, Mr Panter has done a great disservice to the women who have used our service.

They did not choose to seek counselling for deeply traumatic issues in the expectation that the highly specialist and confidential service they chose would be used as a political weapon by Brighton and Hove City Council.

For clarification, the BRCP, when it existed, was a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and, as such, its counsellors worked within the association's guidelines. Furthermore, all policies of BRCP fell within the Children Act.

Mr Panter's claim that BRCP was not funded because of its child protection policies was never communicated to BRCP during the grant decision-making process.

We would have appreciated the chance to discuss this with the council, in confidence, before it withdrew our funding and forced the closure of the charity.

-L Gallagher and K Leenders, Directors, BRCP