421 children report having been victims of incest in 2007

A Welfare Ministry report released on Thursday revealed that in 2007, 421 children under the age of 14 reported having been a victim of incest and sexual harassment within their families.

According to Welfare Minister Yitzhak Herzog, it is important to raise awareness among the public for the "best kept secret", and that awareness is critical in identifying the problem and preventing long-term psychological effects in the future. "I call upon the public to be vigilant and report any suspicion to the authorities," he said.

"In tandem, I am also urging the social workers to work toward identifying the turning point that will help us crack the code of silence and expose these terrible acts," he added.

The ministry data reveals that one of every seven women has been sexually abused by a family member, and one of 11 men is subject to sexual assault by a family member at one point during his lifetime. 2,400 children were sexually abused in 2007 and 511 people are currently in prison serving sentences for sexual abuse, the report said.

The Welfare Ministry has recently begun setting up a program aimed at treating child victims of sexual assault. The program costs NIS 10 million and will operate in 12 centers across the country.