SHENZHEN: One year on and the country`s first programme to help sexually assaulted women is struggling to survive in this southern booming city.

Organizers are planning to further promote the scheme in order to encourage more victims to accept free treatment, but they are not too optimistic.

This is due to a lack of money and the difficulty the women have facing up to their terrible experiences.

Sui Shuangge, a public servant with a psychological doctorate degree and one of the registered volunteers, tried to develop a network to help "victims who were forced to have sex" early last year. The move came because many young women in the migrant city are vulnerable to assault.

With support from various bodies, including the city`s psychological crisis intervention centre, the psychological service centre of the local police and the Shenzhen Volunteer Association, the "Spring Breeze Programme" was officially launched on September 9 last year.

It provided three hotlines, psychological consultants, judicial appraisal experts and lawyers to serve those in need, all for free.

However, only about 10 women accepted the six-month psychological treatment and successfully walked out of the shadow of the past in the last year, according to Sui.

About 200 women called the hotlines but they refused to come for counselling.

"This is a very sensitive group who have tried to keep their problems a secret at the bottom of their hearts. But in the meantime they are being constantly tortured by their memories," Sui told China Daily.

As a result of sexual assault, some victims abuse cigarettes, alcohol and even drugs. Some hurt themselves or assault other people, he noted.

According to police figures from 2004, officers solved 218 rape cases in 2003 and 308 cases in 2004.

Sui said the programme would eventually develop and become better known. But without a stable source of cash which mainly comes from volunteers` donations the programme has run into difficulties, he added.

Xin Hongbo, secretary-general of the Shenzhen Volunteer Association, said the programme was worthwhile but difficult to maintain.

"Since sexual assault is very personal, most victims are unwilling to mention it. They don`t feel safe enough to confide in our consultants," Xin added.