The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
‘We must hold the abusers to account’
Anew national helpline for those affected by sexual abuse in schools has been welcomed by a Dundee campaigner.
But there needs to be more accountability for offenders, says Beth Morrison, who has highlighted child abuse in schools for more than a decade.
The NSPCC’s UK-wide helpline was launched yesterday after hundreds of claims of abuse were made online.
As well as supporting alleged victims, it will also be a safe place to report sexual abuse in an education setting and help contact police if required.
Beth, of Solway Gardens, Monifieth, said: “It’s fantastic the helpline has been set up. Anything we can do to encourage victims to speak out and encourage whistleblowing is good.
“But we have to ensure the support they need is there for them after doing that, and there needs to be more accountability and tougher penalties.”
Beth said the “trauma and pain” victims and their families go through after abuse is often heightened when justice is not seen to take place.
She said: “It’s very rare we get accountability. Children’s rights get continually abused and it is not upheld by society.”
Beth began campaigning in 2010 after her disabled son returned from school with bruises and she won government backing against restraint and seclusion methods in schools.
Although Beth’s own experiences did not specifically focus on anything sexual, she has since supported many families affected by varying degrees of abuse in schools.
She said: “Abuse is abuse. If these kinds of things were happening at home parents would be held accountable – schools need to be held to the same level of accountability.”
The NSPCC’s helpline was commissioned by the UK Government in reaction to hundreds of accounts of alleged abuse posted anonymously on the Everyone’s Invited website.
NSPCC chief executive Sir Peter Wanless said: “The testimonies being shared through Everyone’s Invited underline the urgent need to tackle violence against girls.
“Children should be able to grow up in a safe community that is free from sexual violence, where their rights are respected.”
The Report Abuse in Education helpline can be reached on 0800 136 663, Monday to Friday 8am– 10pm, or 9am–6pm at weekends. It can also be contacted by email at help@nspcc.org.uk