A total of 153 cases of sexual abuse of children were recorded by the Ministry of Women and Children’s Child Service Unit from January to November last year.
Child Service Assistant Director, Ela Tukutukulevu, says sexual abuse is on the rise adding that analysis have shown victims are getting younger while perpetrators are getting older.
”Sometimes when we receive such cases that perpetrators are from the same family, there is a lot of mistrust in the family and most of these children, we try to take them into places of safety, and so we have 10 approved homes across the country and if children are not safe in their own homes, we welfare officers, we try to go into court and take out a care order so the children can be under the care of the state or the care of the director social welfare.”
Tukutukulevu says children who are under the care of the state are being treated like any ordinary child where all their needs are being met by the ministry.
There are currently 192 children under the care of the ten approved homes around the country.
