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Fighting child abuse with more awareness campaigns
View(s):Awareness programmes will be conducted islandwide at nurseries, day-care centres, government and private schools, religious education institutions, Sunday schools and private tuition classes to curb child abuse, a top police official said.
According to Police Children and Women Bureau’s Chief Padmalal Sandungahawatte a majority of such cases fall into the categories of sexual abuse, assault and other forms of cruelty such as burn injuries.
Senior Superintendent Sandungahawatte however said only a few complaints were lodged by affected children due to ignorance, as many were unaware that they were being sexually abused or due to fear of being harmed by the abusers.
According to the Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Affairs, 18,777 child abuse cases were reported from 2009 to 2012. 2012, accounted for 7,418. Of these 1, 169 cases were related to child sex abuse in 2011 and 1, 887 in 2012.
“When it comes to cruelty, close family members, teachers, relatives or adult friends are the main culprits. It is important to alert the children and educate them on the gravity of the crime and explain to them the importance of informing the authorities immediately. Guardians of young children should be more vigilant about the safety of their children,” he added.
Some of the recent incidents included the injury by burning of a schoolgirl’s feet, molestation of a nine-year old and hot water being poured on a child.
Last week, two elderly men were remanded for sexually abusing a nine year old girl in Pottuvil. One of the suspect’s was the child’s grandfather.
In another case, a man from Nawagaththegama was arrested for molesting a schoolgirl inside a three wheeler. The arrest was made following a call to 119.
An Information Technology teacher was re-remanded for sexually abusing nine students of grade 8 and grade 11 in a school in the Kahatagasdigiliya area in Anuradhapura.
The suspect Shantha Dissanayake is a resident of Saliyapura in Anuradhapura. The teacher had been transferred to another school in Mihintale at the time of arrest.
In another case this year, Buttala police arrested a 40-year-old man for raping his 15 year old niece.
Last year, a police constable attached to Mahiyanganaya was sentenced to 15 years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a Rs. 10,000 fine for sexually molesting a 14 year old boy who was in police custody for stealing a pair of slippers.
Similarly, a man was sentenced for 100 years of rigorous imprisonment by the Gampaha High Court and another fined Rs. 120,000 for molesting his 10 year old daughter over a period of two years.
Reports of child cruelty too were reported with the feet of a 17 year old girl from Horowpathana being severely burnt with a hot iron by a school master. The girl, awaiting her Ordinary Level examination results had been working as a helper in the suspect’s house.
In another case, a woman was arrested for pouring boiling water on the neck of a five-year-old and causing injuries to his hands and feet. The suspect was the aunt of the victim from Alawathugoda.
“A rape convict can be sentenced for 20 years or more while those guilty of cruelty and torture can be imprisoned for five years,” SSP Sandungahawatte said adding that child victims are constantly monitored by the Children and Women Bureau units of the areas they came from.
According to him, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa areas have the highest number of child abuse reports.