A LEADING campaigner has renewed calls for a national abuse helpline, which he says could help save the lives of those dying from drug overdoses and suicide.
Dave Sharp, founder of SAFE (Seek and Find Everyone Abused in Childhood) was raped and beaten as a child at St Ninian’s residential school, in Fife and became the first person in Scotland to win a payout from the Catholic order.
He became homeless and experienced drug addiction as a result of childhood trauma. He claimed that the link between spiralling drug overdoses and deaths by suicide and childhood sexual abuse must be examined and support made more readily available.
He said: “We need to press the pause button and look at what is going on here. The current system is not working. Every day we are waking up to more shocking stats – we’re looking at increases in number of people going to prison, more suicides, more sleeping on the streets, drug overdoses.
“We need to stop ignoring that the link between issues like homelessness and drug deaths and abuse. We need to help people to find a safe enough place to be able to talk about it. When you go to homeless day centres there is often no information about abuse or where to get help. I and others have been calling out for a national helpline,” he added. At the moment where can people go? How can they open up their wounds unless make it safe to do so?"
He claims he is contacted by drugs workers who have not only noted the link but found it hard to get people help, with local authorities claiming it is not their responsibility to support abuse survivors.
While charities and volunteers handing out free food and sleeping bags on the streets are in plentiful supply, he said the desperately needed psychological support is simply not available.
Last month Sharp gave evidence to the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, which started in 2015 is chaired by Lady Ann Smith. Last September it identified a further 17 institutions which it is now investigating. In recent years there has been increased emphasis on recognising how adverse childhood experiences (ACES) affect people’s adult lives.
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