Vicki Bernadet foundation sees 30% rise in child sexual abuse cases in 2019

The Vicki Bernadet foundation says it attended to 754 victims of child sexual abuse in the first quarter of 2019, 184 more than in the same period last year, or a 30% increase.

The foundation set up in 1997 with the aim of preventing and raising awareness of child sexual abuse attributes the rise to greater coverage of the problem in the media.

While the organization considers this to be positive, it is also calling on civil society to help prevent more cases of abuse with a new campaign to recruit more members.

The announcement of the Vicki Bernadet foundation's recruitment and fund-raising drive coincided with the World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse on Tuesday.

In recent years, the foundation has increased the number of calls it has handled by 12%, and the number of face-to-face meetings with victims by 39%.

It has also given psychological therapy to 347 people and requests for legal advice have grown by 44%, yet its financial situation is precarious, and so it also calls for donations.

Support for awareness campaign

The campaign has the support of the Ogilvy agency, which has made an ad directed by Gabriel Garcia de Oro to raise awareness, with a focus on the children who suffer abuse.

The video uses images of children in emergency situations, such as war, and highlights the figure that one out of five children are the victims of some type of sexual abuse.

There will also be a fund-raising concert for the Vicki Bernadet foundation at Barcelona's Barts concert hall on November 25, which will be hosted by actor, Mont Plans.

With tickets at 20 euros, among the musical artists who will perform on the night are Marc Parrot, Halldór Mar, Sabor de Gràcia, Lídia Pujol and Jaume Vilaseca.