Campaign Launched against Pedophiles, by Kim Wilson, The Herald Sun, January 13, 2008

Campaign Launched against Pedophiles

By Kim Wilson
The Herald Sun
January 13, 2008

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23043948-661,00.html

EMMA Foster's legacy hopefully would be to help parents become more aware of the perils of pedophiles, her mother, Christine, said yesterday.

After years of battling to help her daughter after she was sexually abused by a pedophile priest, Mrs Foster has devised a powerful campaign to grab parents' attention.

Anthony and Christine Foster with daughters Aimee and Katie.
Photo by Aaron Francis

"We want to make parents aware of what happens with sexual abuse and that there are symptoms," she said of the campaign that plays on the phrase "ignorance is bliss".

"There are community ads for drowning and that is great, but there are probably about 20 drownings in Victoria a year," Mrs Foster said.

"About one in three girls are sexually abused, whether that be touched up or raped, and that doesn't even include the boys.

"This is happening all the time and no one wants to talk about it."

Bernadette McMenamin, head of child sexual abuse charity Childwise, said Mrs Foster's message was powerful and she wants to include it in a "Speak Up" campaign being launched next month.