The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre has recorded 37 child abuse cases from January to June, this year.

A total of 32 females and five males reported child abuse cases ranging from the age of three to 17 years old.

Statistics from the Centre show most perpetrators were related to children who were abused between the months of January to June.

Majority of the perpetrators were boyfriends, family friends, fathers, landlords, mother’s partner, neighbors, tenants and uncles or strangers.

Out of the 37 child abuse cases, 14 were sexual abuse, four physical abuse and three emotional/verbal abuse.

FWCC Coordinator, Shamima Ali says the figures are disturbing.

‘’If we talk about emotional abuse, a lot of it is in the home,. Some of it is also coming from the internet where there is bullying of children and young people. Physical abuse is definitely from home and from schools. Sexual abuse, most of it is from people the child knows either relatives or neighbors or teachers or priests or people like that. It is mostly from people they know’’.

Of the 37 cases, the Centre’s Suva branch recorded 21 cases, Ba 5, Nadi 6, Labasa 4 and Rakiraki 1.

According to the statistics, oral rape and digital rape (use of fingers) topped the forms of sexual abuse on children.