Total of 208 child abuse cases have been reported so far this year: Gender Minister

Minister of Gender, Family and Human Rights Aishath Azima Shakoor has said that the Ministry has received a total of 208 reports regarding different sorts of child abuse so far this year.

In her statement on the occasion of Children’s Day, Minister Azima said that in addition to 208 different incidents of child abuse, the Ministry had also received 43 cases of neglect, and that number of child related cases had gone up by 20 percent, compared to the same period of 2012.

The statement noted that during the first three months of 2013, eighty three percent victims of sexual abuse were young girls.

“Studies conducted regarding child abuse in the Maldives shows that every one in seven children are victim of child abuse in the Maldives. While the individual issues come onto light after a number of days of abuse, it is believed that the number of children facing abuse at one point in time in the Maldives is a number that is unreasonable for a country with such a small population,” the statement read.

Minister Azima also said that the number of cases of neglected children is on the increase, which includes infanticide, children facing continued abuse, children suffering from drug addiction and children who are victim of sexual abuse. She said that sexual abuse victims include children who suffer at the hands of members of their families and also children who are forced into child prostitution by their parents.

“The abuse of children is on the rise. Children being used as sex workers, where the children are sent to places as a means to pleasure people and to gain an income form such a trade, this is being practiced in the Maldives today. Both boys and girls are being used in this trade,” Minister said.

In addition to noting the child abuse practices in the Maldives today, Minister Azima’s statement also highlighted the importance of the responsibility of the parents in providing proper parenting for the children. She vowed Ministry of Gender, Family and Human Rights will work to protect the rights of children in our society.