Campaign for child abuse hotline

CELEBRITIES and medical workers are raising funds for a special hotline for child victims of sexual abuse following a sharp rise in the number of reported cases.

The 24-hour hotline, to be staffed by volunteers, should be operational in about two months time if the fund-raising is successful.

Josephine Siao Fong-fong of the End Child Sexual Abuse Foundation said at the group's launch yesterday she hoped the hotline would raise public awareness.

A 21-fold increase in child abuse cases, from 11 in 1990 to 229 last year, has been reported to the Child Protection Registry.

The foundation's vice-chairman, cardiologist Dr Victor Goh King-man, said: 'We'll encourage people to report cases of child sexual abuse and to tell their experience of being abused to the hotline.' The hotline will offer counselling to victims, while suspected cases will be referred to police for further investigation.

'Our counsellors will comfort the victims and try to prevent them from having flashbacks of the incidents in the future,' Dr Goh said. 'We'll try to respond to the calls quickly.' So far, almost $1 million has been raised.