NSPCC campaign reminds people abuse is not just in the past

The NSPCC has launched a campaign to remind people that child abuse is not just a problem of the past, amid the publicity over the Jimmy Savile case.

NSPCC adverts will encourage people to report current abuse to its helpline.

The charity said it was important to act even if people had only suspicions that abuse was happening.

Meanwhile, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) said there had been a 30% rise in reports of abuse, fuelled by the "Savile effect".

Ceop said it had received 1,578 reports of abuse in November 2012, up from 1,214 in November 2011.

Other organisations have also previously reported rises in calls since the scandal surrounding former TV presenter Savile first broke.

'End suffering'

Peter Watt, director of the NSPCC helpline, said: "By bravely speaking out, Savile's victims have done a great public service in raising awareness of child sex abuse and its long-lasting, devastating effect on victims.

"Our advert aims to remind people that child abuse remains a widespread problem and children are still abused today.

"To end their suffering and bring their abusers to justice we must all act now. Savile's victims waited decades to be heard and helped. We can't let this happen again."

He added: "With this advert we want to send out a clear message about how vitally important it is to act on your suspicions and that the NSPCC is here to help you do this.

"Our trained counsellors will discuss your concerns and the best course of action."

Ceop said it had received a significant increase in reports of child abuse images and suspected sexual grooming, from members of the public, internet service providers and police.

Last year there were an average of 1,300 reports a month. The figure had been on course to be higher this year but not as big as the rise in November.

A spokeswoman said: "Ceop reporting has notably increased since the high-profile media coverage of the Savile case. The 'Savile effect' is definitely a contributing factor to the increase in reporting."

Yewtree

On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police said there had been a four-fold increase in reports of sexual assault unrelated to Savile. These included both recent and older cases.

There were 55 reports of "non-recent" rape and serious sexual offences in the month prior to the launch of Operation Yewtree, which is investigating the Savile claims. This compares to 299 reports in the month following it.

Operation Yewtree, which launched 10 weeks ago, has a team of 30 officers and has so far cost about £2m. Some 589 alleged victims have come forward during its investigation into Savile and other people.

Of the alleged victims, 82% were female and 80% were children or young people.

Police said the number of Savile's alleged victims had now reached 450.

Savile, who died last year aged 84, was a Radio 1 DJ and the presenter of the Jim'll Fix It show on BBC One.