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Outrage at 'one stop' crisis centre for abused

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Officials are planning to contract a non-government organisation to set up a 24-hour crisis centre to handle all victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

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It is proposed that the work helping men, women, children and the elderly be handled under one roof - a move that has outraged people working with female victims, who say the centre would cause a 'real crisis' for the women.

In a paper to be discussed by legislators on Monday the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau suggests selecting an NGO to run a 24-hour multi-purpose crisis intervention and support centre in New Territories West.

Hotline staff would refer cases to Social Welfare Department social workers during office hours, while the centre's own staff would handle victims at night. It would serve as a short-term shelter for all victims of family violence and sexual assault, regardless of sex and age.

Social workers warned that putting all victims in one place was 'dangerous', saying. sex-abuse victims would feel threatened by mixing with other people, while family violence victims could run the risk of being harmed by their abusers.

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Liu Ngan-fung, chairwoman of the Association for Survivors of Women Abuse (Kwan Fook), said victims would be denied specialised help if mixed together.

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