The Peninsula reports:

A helpline that was set up to receive complaints about child abuse received more than 1,560 calls—many of them distress ones—between January and May 15 this year.

Some 1,175 of these calls were from women, while 96 boys and 45 girls themselves sought assistance through the helpline.

This was disclosed by officials at a workshop held by the Qatar Foundation for the Protection of Women and Children, a local Arabic daily reported.

The daily did not give details of the complaints but said that many of the callers merely wanted to make enquiries about the helpline and did not seek assistance of any kind.

The helpline (919) known as ‘Amana’ was set up with help from ictQatar on June 1 last year.

The Foundation has launched a campaign urging people not to remain silent and report cases of child abuse to the authorities.