20 Jul 2015

Abused babies in Samoa get new facility

6:34 pm on 20 July 2015

Sexually abused and abandoned babies in Samoa being cared for by the Samoa Victim Support Group now have a state-of-the-art shelter donated by Australian Janice Bradnam.

The "House of Blessings" for abused and abandoned children in Samoa.

The "House of Blessings" for abused and abandoned children in Samoa. Photo: RNZI - Tipi Autagavaia

The Samoa Victim Support Group's patron, Tuisugaletaua Sofara Aveau, who is also a government minister, says the organisation is seeing an increasing number of sexually abused babies.

But he says its work had been constrained by the limited space and a shortage of healthy facilities in which to care for the babies.

"Fortunately in 2013 a believer in SVSG's [Samoa Victim Support Group's] work and efforts, Mrs Janice Bradnam, visited our shelters. It was from that visit that the idea of building a new shelter for the babies was born."

Tuisugaletaua Sofara Aveau.