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North Yorkshire charity leads global network to tackle online sexual abuse
By Dave Horsley
A NORTH Yorkshire charity is launching the world’s first global network of professionals to helping children who have suffered online sexual abuse. The Marie Collins Foundation (MCF), based in Masham near Ripon, was set up in 2011 by chief executive Tink Palmer and works with children, young people and families to help them recover after sexual abuse involving technology. It also trains including social workers, police and teachers in supporting victims. Now it is about to lead the world’s first global network of experts dedicated to helping child victims. The Global Protection Online Network is funded by investment from the global fund pledged at the #WePROTECT Children Online summit by former Prime Minister David Cameron in 2014. The money will be used to provide support to child victims of technology-related violence, abuse and exploitation through the Global Protection Online Network. It will also fund a report on international research relating to the recovery of children from online abuse and carry out a survey to map out work practices and lessons learned among professionals in 17 countries identified by UNICEF as priorities. The network will be officially launched at a major conference, From Discovery to Recovery, hosted by MCF in London on Tuesday (June 28) which will bring together 170 professionals from areas including criminal justice, charities, sport, the government, the Premier League, UNICEF, the NSPCC and most UK police forces. . The conference hosted by the North Yorkshire charity will be chaired by the national police lead for child protection and abuse investigation, Chief Constable of Norfolk Police Simon Bailey, who will call for closer collaboration between organisations involved in the area. Prof Palmer, who has recently carried out site visits and interviews in Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines, will reveal the early findings of the international study at the conference. She said: "We are delighted that the expertise within Marie Collins Foundation has been recognized with the awarding of this funding which allows us to carry out valuable work with the potential to benefit current and future victims of online sexual abuse. "It will be the first time all the research in this area is brought together, allowing us to identify the best international practices for supporting harmed children and helping them recover and go on to lead fulfilling lives.” Prof Palmer added: "While we are all dedicated to stamping out these insidious and hateful crimes and catching those responsible, the online resource and establishment of a global network of experts will ensure greater sharing of knowledge and expertise in the future." MCF was founded by Professor Palmer who set up a well-respected national programme for victims of child abuse in Middlesbrough after the notorious Cleveland scandal, when many children in the area were diagnosed as sexually abused. She began working on her first case of sexual abuse involving the internet in 1999 after receiving her first police referral for a group of children who had been made the subjects of child abuse images.
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