AUSTRALIA
The West Australian
Gabrielle Knowles
July 6, 2015
Children as young as four and their parents will be educated about sex abuse and prevention in what is believed to be a world-first under a major program being launched by the Perth Archdiocese of the Catholic Church.
Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe said the Safeguarding Project would have at least two trained “safeguarding” officers in all 105 Perth parishes to run programs for families and be a point of contact for people with concerns.
Police Sen. Sgt Andrea Musulin, who is co-ordinating the project and training the volunteers, clergy and other church personnel, said it was crucial children were taught and empowered to protect themselves and to speak up.
“If a child has no age appropriate and developmentally appropriate knowledge of sex … then they have no knowledge to draw from with which to resist and thereby prevent an offence,” she said.
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