Support for Victims of Sexual Abuse

30 September 2008

The CIRa Institutional Development Centre and the First Children Embassy in the World Megjasi launched a campaign, on Friday, September 26, to create a Fund for Support of Children and Youth Victims of Sexual Abuses.

The two organizations emphasize that the Fund is more than needed, in view of the growing numbers of reported cases of paedophilia and child abuse and children victims that need systemic help and assistance.

- The psychosocial counselling is of utmost importance for the victims, especially in the first 72 hours from the moment the cases were reports. Education programmes that would teach the children to recognize for themselves, and in timely fashion, the signs of suspect behaviour � says CIRa and Megjasi.

During the two-month fundraising campaign, CIRa and Megjasi will organize a Telethon, humanitarian concert with the biggest stars of Macedonian pop scene, a charity march and letter writing campaign addressed to the biggest companies in the country, asking the citizens and enterprises to contribute and support the initiative.

The finances collected in the Fund will be redirected, as grants, to civic organizations and institutions that provide assistance and protection to victims of sexual abuse, and to the families of the victims themselves. The actual redistribution will be decided by an independent commission with representatives of the civil and business sectors, as well as prominent public figures and personalities.

Contributions can be made to Account No. 300000002760559, opened with Komercijalna banka Skopje, with a line Za Fondot za poddr�ka na deca i mladi �rtvi na seksualna zloupotreba. Citizens may also donate 100 denars per call to the special phone numbers: 077 143 403; 075 143 550; i070 143 404.