The new Safe to talk - He pai ki te kōrero helpline has been launched today by the Minister for Social Development Carmen Sepuloni.
The helpline provides 24/7 access to free confidential information and support for people affected by sexual harm.
"Anyone, anywhere who is affected by sexual harm can use Safe to talk - He pai ki te kōrero. It's for survivors, concerned whānau and people who have harmed others or who may be thinking about harming others," the minister says.
“So far 667 people have made contact with the helpline since it went live on April this year”.
Anyone who may like to contact the helpline can remain anonymous.
“We recognise that it can be really hard for people affected by sexual harm to reach out for support. I’d like to emphasise that anyone contacting the helpline can say as little or as much as they like – and they can remain anonymous if they want to,” says Sepuloni.
The hotline number is 0800 044 334 and there's also an online chat function on the safetotalk.nz website.
Safe to talk - He pai ki te kōrero is operated by government-funded social enterprise Homecare Medical and went live nationally on April 16 after a successful initial test run in Canterbury.