Crimes against children are a crime against the entire Nation. We say this easily at public events and religious gatherings. The latest figures from the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) show how little we have done to make the words true.

Between January and September this year, the NCPA received 9,613 complaints of child abuse and related issues. That is about 1,070 every month, or roughly 35 every single day. September was the worst month, with 1,554 complaints, nearly half as many again as the monthly average. The trend is not levelling off. It is climbing.

Behind the totals are details no parent can read calmly. There were 364 complaints of sexual abuse, 114 of them serious, and 169 of rape, which works out at one child raped roughly every day and a half. Forty complaints concerned child trafficking, and eight concerned sexual exploitation. Cruelty against children accounted for 1,889 complaints, about one in five of the total. There were 51 reports of teenage pregnancy and nine of child marriage. These are children who should be sitting in classrooms, not in police statements.

Two numbers deserve particular attention. The NCPA recorded 196 complaints of cyber violence against children, and 37 cases of children being used to traffic drugs. Both support what Deputy Minister of Public Security Sunil Watagala has warned: criminals are reaching our children through the screens in their pockets. Schoolchildren use social media heavily but have little idea of the dangers. Children outside the school system are even more exposed, and drug networks see them as cheap, disposable couriers. A child who has dropped out of school is a child the state has already lost sight of.

Also, we should also be honest about what the figures leave out. A complaint is not a conviction, and every statistic here counts only the cases that were reported. Anyone who has worked with abused children knows how many suffer in silence, silenced by shame, fear, or a family that would rather protect its name than the child. The real picture is almost certainly worse.

This is where the national conscience must be questioned. Sri Lanka is among the most devout countries on Earth. Our temples, churches, mosques and kovils are full, and our festivals are observed with real sincerity. Every faith we follow teaches that the weak must be protected and that harming a child is among the gravest wrongs. Yet children are raped, beaten and trafficked in the same towns where we light lamps and say our prayers. Religion that stops at the temple door has become decoration. Faith is tested by how we treat those who cannot defend themselves.

Condemnation is cheap, so here is what must be done.

First, the police and the NCPA need the resources to act. The Children and Women Bureau cannot handle a flood of complaints with the staff and equipment designed for a smaller problem. Every district needs trained officers, child-friendly interview rooms and counsellors, so that a victim is not retraumatised by the system meant to help.

Second, justice must be swift. Cases involving children drag through the courts for years, and witnesses tire or are pressured into silence. Specialised courts and strict timelines for child abuse trials would show offenders that the law will reach them quickly, and show victims that it is on their side.

Third, online safety must be taught in every school. Children need to learn how predators and drug recruiters operate, and parents need the same lessons. The authorities should also press social media platforms to remove harmful content and cooperate with investigators.

Fourth, we must bring every child back into education. Dropouts should be traced and supported by schools, local officials and community groups. A child in school is watched over, and a child on the street is easy prey.

Fifth, the culture of silence must end. Relatives, neighbours, teachers and religious leaders must report what they see. Those who shield an abuser for the sake of reputation share in the crime. The NCPA hotline, 1929, must be known in every village.

Finally, our religious leaders carry a special duty. Their voices reach millions every week. Let sermons and bana preaching name child abuse plainly and demand that it be reported.

Every politician promises to put children first, and the next budget will show who meant it. A nation is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable members, and by that measure we are failing. The 9,613 complaints are not just a statistic. They are 9,613 reasons to act, and we have run out of excuses.