Portuguese march for children's rights

By Alison Roberts
BBC correspondent in Lisbon

Portuguese marchers want better protection for children

In Portugal, protesters have marched in four cities against the sexual abuse of minors and in favour of children's rights.

The demonstrations, collectively called the "white march" because participants dress in white, are modelled on similar marches organised in Belgium in recent years.

They come against the background of an investigation into alleged abuse of children at a string of children's homes and schools.

Lisbon's central Avenida da Liberdad, was blocked off on Saturday as several hundred prominent public figures and ordinary citizens gathered to demonstrate their concern about the sexual abuse of children.

Similar, though smaller protests, took place in Porto and Braga in the north and in Portimao, down south in the Algarve.

High-profile help

Organisers weren't expecting tens of thousands to turn out and didn't get them, but the presence of several well-known public figures including politicians from all the major parties, will guarantee considerable coverage by the local media.

Also among those taking part was a prominent judge who's the brother of a Socialist member of parliament who's himself under investigation in a child sexual abuse case.

That investigation into alleged widespread abuse of children at a string of homes and schools run by the state-funded Casa Pia Foundation has been dominating headlines in Portugal since it started last November.

Progress has been slow.

Despite efforts by the investigating magistrate to press ahead and hear testimony by the alleged victims of abuse, appeals by the defence against his handling of the case have so far held this up.