A NATIONAL charity has launched an emergency appeal after a survey showed more children were sexually exploited in 2013 than the previous year.
Barnardo’s surveyed 29 specialist sexual exploitation services, and found they were working with 55 per cent more victims than in the previous year – 885 victims of abuse in September 2013.
In Yorkshire, Barnardo’s reported working with 192 young people between April 2011 and March 2012, but that figure rose to 292 young people between April 2012 and March 2013.
The charity has launched an appeal to raise extra funds to help more children and young people with an aim to raise £3 million to ensure victims get the support they need.
Steve Oversby, director of Barnardo’s in Yorkshire, said: “No child should have to wait for help to get the support they need to break away from the individuals who perpetrate these appalling crimes. We must do all we can to ensure that expert care and specialist support is available to every young person who has been abused in this way.”
Go to barnardos.org.uk to make a donation.
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