P-05-859 Provide Child Houses in Wales for victims of child sexual abuse
P-05-859 Provide Child Houses in Wales for victims of child sexual abuse
This petition was submitted by Mayameen
Meftahi, having collected 227 signatures.
Text of Petition
The child house
concept is based on best practice learned from the USA and Scandinavia.
Recognising the vulnerability of the child victim and the harm caused to the
child by multiple interviews, the child house uses a child-friendly response to
child sexual abuse (CSA).
In the UK, 2 child houses are available in the city of London, in Wales there
is none.
As a child, you do not know who and where to run to, you do not know that there
is any support available, if we can offer Child Houses across the UK, we can
save children.
Continuation of Refuges for Domestic Violence, there should be Child Houses for
children suffering child sexual abuse.
We know that many children who are suffering child abuse will at some point try
and escape, they will want to free themselves, but they have nowhere to
go. They will be returned back home, back into the arms of their abuser.
Providing a safe house, that is child-friendly, that can open the way for
disclosure and safeguarding.
In Iceland, the 'Barnahus' model has been in place since 1998, and offers in
one place, forensic interviews, making court statements, medical examinations
and access to therapeutic services. We should make this available like we do a
domestic violence refuge. Since the Barnahus model was established in Iceland,
the number of child victims of CSA coming forward for help has more than
doubled per year, indictments have tripled, and convictions have doubled. This
is enough evidence to show they are crucial.
Not only should we be providing child houses, but we should continue this with
educating children that these options are available. Please join us in the
Campaign to address this issue and let's make a push for the Welsh Government
to provide a Safe House in Wales, we surely cannot expect children to get to
London, if they are even aware such houses exist. Sadly this is currently
not the case.
Additional Information
Our children need
somewhere to run to, they need to be safe and they need to have access to the
correct support to save themselves from the life sentence of child sexual
abuse.
Please sign this
petition and start to make movements!
This petition was considered completed by
the Petitions Committee at its meeting on 03/07/2023.
The Committee agreed to close the petition.
Full details of the consideration of this petition
by the Committee and related documents can be seen on the Meetings tab above.
It was first considered by the Petitions Committee
on 15/01/2019.
Senedd Constituency and
Region
·
Swansea
East
·
South
Wales West
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information
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Business type: Petition
Reason considered: Senedd Business;
First published: 09/01/2019