An article in the Jakarta Post claims that India has done nothing to protect children from sexual abuse. In the wake of the young woman being gang-raped and murdered on a Delhi bus, the Indian government took some measures to protect women, but did nothing for children.
Children, the Post claims, are in great danger of being sexually abused in various institutions, often by the people in charge. It reminds us of the Jerry Sandusky case in the US, and the Mount Cashel case in Newfoundland, and the residential schools abuse across Canada.
A new report from Human Rights Watch said such abuse is disturbingly common, government responses are falling short in protecting children and in treating victims. The report urges the government to ensure rigorous implementation of child protection laws and strict monitoring of child care facilities. It calls for an end to traumatic medical examinations and insensitive treatment by police and other authorities, which subject victims to further distress.
We need to be praying that the government implements these recommendations, soon.
There are no clear statistics on the number of child abuse cases in India, primarily because of the low reporting of such crimes. India's ministry of women and child said in 2007 that around 70 percent of abused children never reported the matter to anyone.
Despite the low reporting levels, the ministry then said 53.2 percent, or one out of two, children in India, reported having faced one or more forms of sexual abuse. This statistic is even worse for state-run or -funded homes, activists said.
While these statistics clearly contradict each other, one thing is clear – most children in India have suffered some form of abuse. In the 16th century one of the first Europeans, Jan Huygen van Linschoten, to reach India remarked in his journal that it was exceedingly difficult to find a girl of 7 years who was still a virgin. I appears the situation has not improved much, if at all, in 4.5 centuries.
In England, The Office of Children's Commission interim study has found high levels of child abuse in England, with more than 2,400 victims during a 14-month period that was scrutinized. They also found about 16,500 additional children are at "high risk" of sexual exploitation based on behavioural changes that were noted.
The report follows a series of reports of "grooming" cases in which rings of men preyed on troubled underage girls.
It also comes after the police and the BBC have been sharply criticized for failing to take action against the late Jimmy Savile, an entertainer who has been alleged to have repeatedly abused young girls.
The commission found that abuse is greater than had been thought and that many sexual exploitation victims are not seen by professionals and do not have their cases recorded.
Pray for England to get serious about protecting children from predators.
In Chile, President Pinera announced measures Wednesday to combat child abuse, responding to a popular outcry over an increase in reports of such crimes in one of Latin America's most socially conservative countries.
The government already banned convicted pedophiles from working near children last month under a new law that also requires those convicted of sexually abusing minors or of child pornography to be registered in a database.
President Sebastian Pinera said Wednesday the database will be fully working starting in August. He also said Chile will toughen penalties on convicted pedophiles, increase the forensic institute budget by $1.6 million and create a children's ombudsman to protect their rights.
"With sadness and indignation we've heard serious reports in the past weeks of sex abuse by adults who had the responsibility to educate them, to protect them but who instead threatened against that which is most sacred in our children" Pinera said at a news conference.
Several teachers have recently been accused of sexually molesting children at day care centers and schools in affluent Santiago neighborhoods. Reports of sexual abuse of children under the age of 14 rose by 22 percent in the first half of the year, according to official estimates.
We need to be praying for these measures to be implemented. President Pinera is under some considerable stress from growing protests for a variety of reasons. Pray that the measures go through before an election is called or some kind of coup takes place.
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| Delhi Bus used in gang-rape and murder of young woman |
A new report from Human Rights Watch said such abuse is disturbingly common, government responses are falling short in protecting children and in treating victims. The report urges the government to ensure rigorous implementation of child protection laws and strict monitoring of child care facilities. It calls for an end to traumatic medical examinations and insensitive treatment by police and other authorities, which subject victims to further distress.
We need to be praying that the government implements these recommendations, soon.
There are no clear statistics on the number of child abuse cases in India, primarily because of the low reporting of such crimes. India's ministry of women and child said in 2007 that around 70 percent of abused children never reported the matter to anyone.
Despite the low reporting levels, the ministry then said 53.2 percent, or one out of two, children in India, reported having faced one or more forms of sexual abuse. This statistic is even worse for state-run or -funded homes, activists said.
While these statistics clearly contradict each other, one thing is clear – most children in India have suffered some form of abuse. In the 16th century one of the first Europeans, Jan Huygen van Linschoten, to reach India remarked in his journal that it was exceedingly difficult to find a girl of 7 years who was still a virgin. I appears the situation has not improved much, if at all, in 4.5 centuries.
 |
| Jan_Huygen_van_Linschoten |
The report follows a series of reports of "grooming" cases in which rings of men preyed on troubled underage girls.
 |
| Jimmy Saville |
The commission found that abuse is greater than had been thought and that many sexual exploitation victims are not seen by professionals and do not have their cases recorded.
Pray for England to get serious about protecting children from predators.
In Chile, President Pinera announced measures Wednesday to combat child abuse, responding to a popular outcry over an increase in reports of such crimes in one of Latin America's most socially conservative countries.
 |
| Chilean President Pinera 2013 |
President Sebastian Pinera said Wednesday the database will be fully working starting in August. He also said Chile will toughen penalties on convicted pedophiles, increase the forensic institute budget by $1.6 million and create a children's ombudsman to protect their rights.
 |
| New Chilean President Michelle Bachelet |
Several teachers have recently been accused of sexually molesting children at day care centers and schools in affluent Santiago neighborhoods. Reports of sexual abuse of children under the age of 14 rose by 22 percent in the first half of the year, according to official estimates.
We need to be praying for these measures to be implemented. President Pinera is under some considerable stress from growing protests for a variety of reasons. Pray that the measures go through before an election is called or some kind of coup takes place.
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