20 November 2008 - New telephone hotline to aid victims of abuse and exploitation
Four simple digits will soon provide a lifeline for Sudanese children and women at risk of, or suffering, abuse and exploitation. 9696 is the toll-free telephone number of Sudan’s first specialist hotline, managed by the national police, offering professional advice and immediate assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to women and children who have witnessed or been victims of crime – including violence and sexual abuse. At any one time, the hotline will initially be staffed by four specially trained operators, drawn from police units, able to handle a range of calls - these could include referring callers to criminal investigators, or putting victims in touch with psychologists and social workers for crisis management, or updating victims on the status of their ongoing cases. Calls will be dealt with in confidence, with operators trained to identify and address the specific needs of callers. The launch of the hotline will also mark another step in an ongoing public awareness campaign on child rights in the northern states of Sudan, while also building public confidence in the police as a source of help for children and their families.
The first 9696 campaign, coinciding with the hotline’s initial day of operation on 25 November, will focus on sexual and gender-based violence against children. Currently more than 90 per cent of cases handled by the Khartoum Family and Child Protection Unit are related to this issue. The Unit provides a range of professional, confidential services for victims of crime, including medical treatment, child-friendly evidence gathering and forensic services, legal aid and psycho social support from trained experts. November 25th also marks the start of 16 “Days of Activism” against gender-based violence, which will promote the availability and importance of child protection services, emphasise child victim’s psychosocial needs, familiarize parents and children on how to report crimes, and increase awareness of parents and other guardians of how they can help protect children from sexual abuse and violence. Activities during the 16 day period are being organized by the National Council for Child Welfare and the national police, with support from UNICEF, and will include carnival processions, community outreach, press conferences and media workshops, as well as extensive promotion of the 9696 hotline.
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