BERLIN, June 5 (Xinhua) -- A play called "You Dare!" with children's rights and child sexual abuse as its themes, premiered on Tuesday in the German city of Mainz in front of an audience of around 240 children and their teachers.
The play, which will tour to other cities in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, is a central event of a nationwide initiative for the prevention of child sexual abuse.
The aim of the play is to educate girls and boys aged between eight and 12 about their rights, to strengthen their self-confidence and to inform them where to find help in the event of an attack.
"'You dare!' should give girls and boys the courage to express themselves confidently, no matter where the attack comes from. It is important that parents are made aware of this issue and that the children find support among teachers and educators," said Christiane Rohleder, State Secretary in the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Family Affairs, Women, Youth, Integration and Consumer Protection.
Up to eight further theatrical performances are planned for 2018 in several other cities so that the initiative could directly reach about 3,000 additional children.
In order to address parents and educational professionals as well, approximately eight training events are offered for about 200 teachers of the participating schools, as well as information evenings for parents, according to the initiative plan.
About 13,539 children were reported as victims of rape and other sexual violence in Germany last year, according to statistics presented at a press conference Tuesday by the Federal Criminal Police Office and the German Children's Aid Association.
