Roger Moore Speaks Out About Child Abuse

Former James Bond Roger Moore was in Germany this week to publicize a new report on child abuse published by UNICEF.

“Childhood is being destroyed by sexual abuse, violence and neglect,” he said. “We must stop it. If we do nothing, our silence would mean acceptance. I can hardly imagine a more shameful violation of the rights of children as the deliberate exploitation of their bodies by unscrupulous adults to serve their sexual appetite. They destroy the childhood of their victims and do harm to them that lasts throughout their lives.”

He also suggested police should be able to enter foreign countries in a bid to catch abusers and bring them to justice: “Perpetrators must be followed across borders.”

The 81-year-old actor has been a Goodwill Ambassador for the charity since 1991, and first became involved in humanitarian issues when he witnessed extreme poverty while filming in India in 1983.