The Assistance Cener for Child Victims

Every year, 1 of 5 children in Israel falls victim to a sexual or violent offense. In most cases, the perpetrator is familiar to the child. Few children muster the courage and find the strength to file a complaint with the Police or someone identifies and reports their distress. They hope that the victimization will end and justice will be served. They hope that life will return to its track and the long rehabilitation will start. Children who were molested fear no one will believe them. They're afraid that the offense they survived will tear their family apart and that society will ostracize them. I remember the aloneness, the helplessness. The desire to hang up the call with the investigator, the need to give up and despair. Wanting to disappear, run away from everything and evading reality, to shut my eyes again. I can't ignore my death wish- i'm already dead inside, so what if i'm still breathing? Every year in Israel, 16,000 police records are opened for offenses committed on children and 50,000 reports on children at risk. After a complaint is filed with the Police, criminal proceedings ensue. The children go through situations that undermine their already- weakened state- Police interrogation, invasive medical examinations, and court testimony. Every step of the criminal proceedings puts the children at risk of secondary victimization. The criminal proceedings intended to bring justice and respite to ruined lives can also re-open the wound and prevent a child's chances for rehabilitation and re-entry into social life. But the criminal proceedings can be adapted to fit children: by embracing accompaniment that explains and mediates the proceedings to the children and their immediate surroundings even before the process starts. The Assistance Center for Child Victims by the National Council for the Child is the central response to this challenge. Around 500 children victims of sexual and violent offenses are accompanied by us annually. They arrive confused and afraid in their most dark hour, and our role is to lend them a hand, be there for them and say: We're right next to you, and we'll light your path until safety is reached. Children who were hurt receive a personal companion who accompanies them during the entire length of the criminal proceedings. The companions illuminate the path ahead. They explain the procedure in clear and straightforward language, ensure the children's rights are safeguarded and exhausted in every front- welfare, education, counseling, and more. The companions- law students from across Israel- undergo intensive and unique training. The training provides legal and social tools to embrace the child, protecting them from secondary victimization and assisting them in getting their lives back. Thanks to the accompaniment we provide, the young boy or girls regain a sense of control over their life and the hope for a brighter future. Donate now and help us illuminate the chaildren's path!