WITH the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner elections two weeks away, the NSPCC is writing to each candidate to ask them to pledge support for the charity’s It’s Time campaign.

Every year over half a million children are abused in the UK, the equivalent of two children in every primary school classroom.

The majority are unable to access the support and care they desperately need and the NSPCC believes it’s time this changed.

We all have a choice about how a child’s life is shaped after abuse. Commissioners will have control over budgets and vital services which would ensure victims of child abuse get support.

The Prime Minister has rightly prioritised child sexual abuse as a national threat – we know that therapeutic support can help transform children’s lives.

Through setting it as a strategic priority, the next Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset can best ensure that abused children have access to the timely, evidence based support services they desperately need to overcome their ordeal.

SHARON COPSEY

NSPCC Regional Head of Service for South West England

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