How Sophie was moved to offer help for children facing abuse
THE Countess of Wessex has spoken passionately about her work to support abused children as a charity warns of a surge in cases.
During a visit to Childline, she said: “When Esther Rantzen launched this in 1986, I was watching the television. It struck me immediately as a brilliant response to a problem that I had no idea was so big.
“I was shocked by the number of children being abused in this country, coupled with the realisation that they had nowhere to turn for help.”
Sophie, who has been a patron of the charity since 2005, was talking to Good Housekeeping magazine.
Prince Edward’s wife spoke as another leading children’s charity, the NSPCC, revealed a 53 per cent rise in reports of physical abuse against youngsters since the lockdown started.
Its report How Safe Are Our Children? also found that recorded offences of rape and sexual activity against 13 to 15-year-olds rose by five per cent and eight per cent respectively in the past year in England.
Sophie, 55, who is also patron of the NSPCC, said she had been inspired by people who overcame abuse.
She said: “One young woman made a profound impression on me. She had lived in multiple care homes... in a number of them, she was sexually abused.
“Her life was completely derailed. But one person gained her trust and slowly she started to turn things around. “By the time I met her, she had a job as a support worker for young people in care, to give them the stability she never had.”
Sophie said she hoped that openness in her own family will help her children, Louise, 16, and James, 12, avoid the dangers of social media amid concerns about online grooming and bullying. She said: “At the moment, my children aren’t into social media, however, it is here to stay, so it’s important for them to understand it and for us to equip them with the tools to navigate it successfully.”
● The October issue of Good Housekeeping is on sale in shops and online from today.