FAMILIES whose lives have been torn apart by child abuse have hit out at public cash being spent on helping paedophiles and other sex offenders when they come out of prison.

Dorset’s Police and Crime Commissioner's office and the county's probation service have each given grants of £11,000 to the charity Circles South West, which supports convicted sex offenders living in the community.

One mother whose two daughters were abused by their stepfather, who was jailed for eight years for his crimes, said it was "a huge slap in the face" for those who have suffered at the hands of abusers and the money should be used to help victims instead.

“It won’t change anything,” she said. “Sex offenders are not sorry for what they have done. They do not want to change.

“My husband chose his path – my children did not. He has never said sorry or showed any remorse for what he did and every day I am dealing with the fallout from it. My children are going to be scarred and affected by this for their whole entire lives.”

After being “let down” by CAMHS (children and adolescent’s mental health services), the family is paying £150 a week for private counselling sessions. Their request for public money to help fund the costs has been refused.

The mother said: “They spend £45,000 a year keeping him in prison and they spent around £70,000 in court and prosecution costs. All I’m asking for is £5,000 to £10,000 long-term to try to help mend my children and I can’t get it.”

The grants donated to Circles South West will fund a new part-time probation officer to help run the scheme in Dorset.

Charity bosses claim the programme, which holds "sex offenders to account for their behaviour whilst also helping them to rebuild their lives," has reduced the rate of reconvictions for sexual offending by 70 percent.

Jo Burden, south west director of Circles, said it costs £9,000 to provide support to each offender on the programme, which lasts between 12 and 18 months.

She added: "Most sex offenders come out of prison with low self-esteem, few social contacts and little to occupy them.

"Some say that this is just what they deserve, but research tells us that these factors actually increase the risk of them committing another offence.

“It’s all about preventing abuse."

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill, who has campaigned for the rights of abuse victims, said: “The public consistently tell me that protecting the most vulnerable from sexual offences is one of their top priorities and therefore it is right I support this innovative work, which will help to reduce both crime and reoffending.

"This is absolutely not about pandering to sex offenders or offering them tea and sympathy. It's about doing all we can to manage risk to the very best of our ability."

Mr Underhill said his office had put significant funding into supporting victims.