Skip to content

Support offered to people who report child abuse

Charlie Le NouryJersey
News imageBBC A close-up portrait of a woman with shoulder-length curly hair standing outdoors in a paved public square. The person is wearing a dark zip-up jacket over a light-coloured top and looking directly at the camera. The background is softly blurred and includes trees with autumn foliage, a pale pink building with tall windows, and a black post to one side. The ground appears wet, suggesting recent rain, while the shallow depth of field keeps the person in sharp focus.BBC
Katherine McGovern, from NSPCC Jersey, said support was available for people

A campaign aims to offer more support to people who report child sexual abuse.

NSPCC Jersey led a project to bring the UK-based Lucy Faithfull Foundation's Stop It Now campaign to the island with support from the government and police.

Anyone concerned about the safety of children could report it to the anonymous Stop It Now helpline while support was available via the website, said NSPCC Jersey.

Katherine McGovern, the charity's partnership service manager, said: "We want islanders to know that the support is there and it is available to them. It's confidential and it's a way to prevent sexual abuse of children."

The campaign stresses that viewing sexual images of under-18s or having online sexual conversations with children is illegal, causes them harm and reminds people serious there are consequences for offenders.

It directs anyone concerned about their own or someone else's sexual thoughts or behaviour towards children to the anonymous helpline, while the Get Help programme offers self-help modules for support.

News imageHelen Miles stands outdoors in a town square or pedestrian area, facing the camera. The woman is wearing a light pink rain jacket with a bold black spotted pattern and has a pair of glasses resting on top of their head. The background is softly blurred, showing trees with autumn-coloured leaves, a pale-coloured building, and a wet paved surface suggesting recent rain. The image is a close-up portrait with natural daylight and a shallow depth of field that keeps the person in sharp focus while the surroundings remain out of focus.
Senator Helen Miles said professionals had been undertaking training on child sexual abuse

Senator Helen Miles, Minister for Justice and Home Affairs, said: "Online child sexual abuse is deeply harmful to victims, and we know it is of increasing concern.

"Professionals across Jersey from many different agencies have taken up online training with the foundation to upskill themselves on this issue, which is to be commended and reflects how seriously this issue is taken."

The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, which is named after the prominent British social worker, said it worked to protect children by working with people who pose a risk and diverting them from causing harm.

The NSPCC said the Stop It Now campaign was also brought to Jersey last year and more than 200 people sought support.

Vicki Larbalestier, NSPCC Jersey team manager, said: "We are very grateful for the support from our partner agencies across the Jersey government and charitable organisations.

"We have worked jointly to raise awareness and hope that by sharing information with islanders, people will be encouraged to seek help to prevent potential offending and protect children from harm."

Follow BBC Jersey on X,Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.

More on this story
Related internet links