Jimmy Savile allegations lead to NAPAC demand increase

UNITED KINGDOM
BBC News

A charity supporting sex abuse victims has opened a new support centre due to an increase in demand for its services in the wake of high profile cases.

Sarah Kelly, of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC), said calls “went up sevenfold” after the allegations about Jimmy Savile in 2012 and remained high.

She said Rolf Harris and Stuart Hall’s convictions had also brought in calls.

The Stockport centre will offer both phone and face-to-face support.

In total, the charity received about 3,600 calls and emails between 2010 and 2011, a number which increased to just over 7,000 between 2012 and 2013.

Ms Kelly said celebrity cases had “given survivors permission to start talking”, which could be a cathartic experience.

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