Operation Bobbi Bear - South Africa

Bobbi Bear is provided to victims of abuse when they arrive at police stations; the stuffed animal is meant to help them express and demonstrate exactly what happened to them, without having to touch their own bodies. "The child is also able to draw on the bear with a felt-tip pen. All this enables a rapid assessment of whether or not penetration of the victim occurred so that anti-retroviral drugs may be administered if necessary. Later, the bear is used as evidence in the courtroom. The child gets to take home a new, different coloured bear as a 'friend'."

The work of Operation Bobbi Bear is conducted by specially trained Child Safety Officers. The Child Safety Officer acts as a support for the child from the moment the Rescue Centre is alerted to the crime until after the case is over, which may take between 9 months and 4 years. The Child Safety Officers give clients and their families practical help, counselling, and support during the physical checks, as well as medical and legal advice.

Operation Bobbi Bear runs 4 programmes:

1. The Rescue Centre - a drop-in and information centre for child victims of sexual abuse and/or their primary caregivers
2. HIV/AIDS Teddy Awareness and Prevention Programme - a presentation for pre- and primary school children that teaches universal precautions
3. Child Safety Officer Training and Mentorship Programme - the training of community-based mothers and grandmothers to become caregivers for children who have been abused, and to advocate for their rights
4. The Tree Clinic - a meeting place to monitor vulnerable and orphaned children, to empower mothers and children to develop HIV/AIDS awareness, to manage wellness, and to encourage living positively with HIV/AIDS.

Children, Rights, HIV/AIDS.

Each week, the programme takes on an average of 3 new child sexual abuse cases, makes over 20 referrals of cases that do not fall within its operational scope, and facilitates about 20 police de-briefings for child abuse cases. This type of work started in 1992, but Operation Bobbi Bear was only legally constituted as an organisation and registered under the NPO Act in 2000. The aim of the operation was to ensure accurate docketing and clear legal evidence in child rape cases, without compromising the care and support for the victim. "Subsequently, the idea of using toys to improve communications while providing a safe and supportive environment for the child emerged."