This information is the result of the aggregation and verification of cases of violence against children reported in the media during December last year (2023) including the monitoring, collection, and collation of information on incidents concerning all forms of child abuse. We have gathered information on 86 such incidents, skimming through various media outlets, which fall under 12 main categories of violence against children and these cases include 111 child abuse victims.
According to our data, the highest number of reported incidents is related to sexual abuse, amounting to 34 cases of all the reported cases. Following closely behind is physical abuse with 14 reported incidents. Incidents of child drug abuse have taken third place with 12 cases reported.
According to our data, 55 victims of child abuse were girl children while 25 were boy children. The gender of 17 victims was unspecified in the reports. Out of the 86 incidents reported, 34 victims are in the age group of 11-14 years and 26 victims were in the age group of 15-18 years.
In a report from 1 December, the Minister of Justice, Prisons Affairs, and Constitutional Reforms, President’s Counsel Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe stated that 2,403 cases of child abuse have been registered nationwide during the last nine-month period. He stated that this situation is worrying and that out of these cases, 1,167 cases have been completed. He further stated that appropriate steps will be taken to introduce new laws to prevent violence against children and females. In another report, a doctor at the Kandy National Hospital said that 132 girls under the age of 16 have been subjected to sexual abuse in the District of Kandy within the last three years.
Types of child abuse incidents
Once again, out of the 111 cases recorded, sexual abuse is the highest crime against children in December, 2023, with 35 incidents. Second in place is the physical abuse of children recording 14 incidents and third in place is the number of drug abuse cases among children which is also on the rise with 12 such cases being reported. Next in place are child homicides amounting to seven cases. Six cases of child suicide have been reported. Followed by that are five incidents due to the negligence of children. Four incidents of the abduction of children have also been reported during the period. One incident each of emotional abuse, children going missing, attempted murder and trafficking has been recorded.
As per our records, the category of sexual abuse involved 46 victims. Child sexual abuse is a deeply concerning issue that requires urgent attention and support for both the victims as well as for implementing preventive measures. Sixteen victims of child negligence have been reported while 14 child victims of physical abuse were reported. Twelve children have fallen victim to drug abuse. Nine children have been victims of homicide while six children have committed suicide. Five children have been victims of child abduction. One victim each has been recorded under the categories of drug abuse, emotional abuse, children going missing and attempted murder.
According to the reports gathered from media outlets, the girl child has been the most abused and stands out at 55 victims while abuse cases of boys stand at 26 victims. However, the media has not specified the gender of 30 victims of child abuse and these victims belonged to 12 groups.
The age group of children between 11 to 14 years has been the most affected with 34 victims, followed closely behind by the age category of 15 to 18 years with 26 victims. Adolescence can be a challenging time, and these statistics highlight the vulnerability of these young individuals. The age category of six to 10 years comprised 12 victims, while the age category of one to five years comprised six victims and the age category of zero to 12 months included seven victims. These numbers are distressing, especially considering the vulnerability of such young children. The age of nine victims has not been specified in the reports.
Based on the data gathered, 110 perpetrators are responsible for these incidents and the majority of them are persons very well known to the victims, amounting to 56 numbers, which included three groups while 28 of the perpetrators belonged to the victim’s immediate family or people who are close relatives. It is rather alarming that many of these cases involve individuals close to the victims. Abuse within trusted circles can be particularly devastating. It underscores the importance of both prevention strategies and support systems to protect children from harm, especially from those that they know and trust the most. Twenty of the perpetrators have been strangers and the relationships or connections of 46 individuals were not specified in the media reports.
Geographic distribution of cases
As per the data we have gathered from various media outlets during the month of December, 2023, and analysed, the District of Jaffna has recorded the highest number of crimes against children, amounting to 10 cases while the District of Colombo has recorded the second highest with nine incidents. The District of Kalutara has recorded the third highest number of cases accounting for eight incidents, while the Districts of Gampaha and Puttalam have recorded seven incidents, each. The District of Badulla has recorded six incidents. The Kandy and Anuradhapura Districts have recorded five incidents, each. The Kurunegala, Galle, and Monaragala Districts have reported four incidents each. The Districts of Matara, Ratnapura, Trincomalee, Vavuniya, and Polonnaruwa have reported two incidents each. The Districts of Mullaitivu, Nuwara Eliya, Kilinochchi, and Kegalle reported one incident each. The Districts of Mannar, Matale, and Hambantota did not report a single incident during December 2023.
Accidents involving children
In the month of December, there were a total of 10 reported cases of children drowning. In addition, six road accidents involving children took place, resulting in the loss of five young lives. Two children were also admitted to the hospital due to a wall collapsing incident, while another child lost its life due to electrocution. Furthermore, a two-year-and-eight-month-old toddler passed away as a result of an explosion.
(Protecting Environment and Children Everywhere - PEaCE / End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism - ECPAT Sri Lanka is a non-Governmental organisation focused on child protection by way of ending the sexual abuse and exploitation of children)
–-----------------------------------------------------------------
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication.