Telephone support for victims of abuse

Telephone counselling and support service Connect is to extend its hours during Christmas to open every evening until Monday, January 1. Connect is a free, confidential and professional telephone-based counselling and support service for adults who were abused in childhood and will open from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. throughout the festive period.

People can call Connect for free at 1800 477 477. Callers will get to speak with a trained counsellor who can listen and provide professional counselling and support. Service Director Sheila Doran said that Christmas is a particularly sensitive period in terms of public need for the service.