A NEW phase of the Welsh Government’s Live Fear Free campaign aims to encourage people who have suffered sexual abuse to seek the help they deserve.
The campaign will focus on encouraging adults who were abused as children to call the Live Fear Free helpline. They can report the abuse, but it is also important to share the burden and receive support.
There will be print, digital and social media advertising, an animated film and a series of case studies.
Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews said: “According to NSPCC statistics, two thirds of adults who experienced abuse as children may have never told anyone about their abuse.
“People do not have to live with this burden. The Live Fear Free helpline has highly trained staff who are ready to listen and provide help and support.”
Mike Wilkinson is the Deputy Chief Executive of New Pathways, which offers specialist support at centres throughout South and Mid Wales, and he realises how challenging it is for people to talk about past experiences:
“Abuse that happened a long time ago can continue to have a significant effect on people’s lives. Even if it happened decades ago, for many victims it can feel like it happened only yesterday.
“The Live Fear Free campaign is helping to highlight the issue of historic abuse and raise awareness of specialist services across Wales. Despite the fears that many victims have about telling someone about what has happened to them, it is important for people to know that they will be listened to and they will be believed.
“People do not have to try and deal with this alone and I would encourage anyone who has suffered historic abuse to come forward and get the help that they need.”
If you’ve been a victim of abuse, you can call the Live Fear Free helpline anytime for advice and support – it’s free, confidential and available 24 hours a day. You can also visit the Live Fear Free website to find out more about the campaign, and what help is available: 0808 80 10 800, gov.wales/livefearfree
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