When Christmas dreams turn to Christmas nightmares for many children in Ireland, Childline can be their only lifeline. This is the stark message from the ISPCC children’s charity in their Christmas appeal. Voiced by Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan, ‘Once I Was That Child’ is a powerful piece that shocks the listener into hearing that for some children in Ireland, Christmas will be a living nightmare and a cry for help.
ISPCC data indicates that 300 children a year contact Childline about sexual abuse involving rape, incest and being forced to watch and/or perform sexual acts. Fifty children a year are in the process of trying to take their own life while on the phone to the Childline team, with 50 contacts received every week in relation to sexual, physical and emotional abuse. Physical abuse contacts relate to domestic violence, hitting and physical punishment.
Physical abuse peaks when children are 13 years of age. Sexual abuse peaks at the age of 16. The Childline team spends the equivalent of 50 full days a year talking to children and young people in immediate crisis . Ronan has put her full support behind ISPCC’s campaign to reveal the dark truths behind childhood in Ireland. She is urging the public to donate to ISPCC and the crucial work it does to help traumatised children and young people.
Stolen
‘Once I Was That Child’ is the story of an ordinary child. One who wished for many things, who was full of joy and wonder, but who had their Christmas, their childhood and their future stolen by abuse. We are taken on a journey from the best of times to the worst of times. It reminds us that once innocence is lost, it is gone forever. And by implication it reminds us that it is our duty to support and cherish children no matter what they are going through.
Des Kavanagh, creative director, Javelin, has a long association with the ISPCC. He said it was a privilege to work with the charity. “Every day of the year they make a difference to countless children’s lives,” Kavanagh said. “When we wrote this piece, we knew that it was bleak but felt that the truth at the heart of it was worth telling. But the writing is only the beginning.” He said Ronan brought the piece to “full, terrible, haunting life”.
“She found the textures and the nuances and humanity in the words. Her voice made the awful truth mean more. I’d also like to thank Kevin (Breathnach) at Avondale Studios for the wonderful production, and Sofia Kavanagh who provided such a tender yet forceful appeal for support at the end of the ad.” The ad will air on national and local radio stations from November 25. To hear an uncut version, go to https://youtu.be/sCxgJboLElE
