Child sexual abuse every 27 hours in Cyprus, 241 reports of child sexual abuse in the first half

In Cyprus, every 27 hours a child is sexually abused. According to the Office of the Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of the Child Despos Michailidou - Livani, the number comes from reports made in the "House of the Child" and information obtained from it, during a study on the impact of the measures taken to limit the pandemic Covid 19 in the rights of the child. The Commissioner calls on everyone to be vigilant and notes the need for proper information and empowerment of children to deal with the phenomenon.

In a press release on the occasion of November 18 - European Day for the Protection of Children against Sexual Abuse,
It is reported that from January to June 2021, for a period of 6 months, 241 reports were made, a number that reached 83% of the cases reported over a period of 12 months in 2019.

According to the Office of the Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of the Child, restrictive measures imposed to prevent the spread of the pandemic have reduced the safety net for children. "The media and centers where children had the opportunity to report abuse and / or seek help were turned into impersonal online platforms. "Children were covered with the veil of silence, trapped in the abusive environment, less likely to seek help."

It is also noted that "in 2020 there were 324 reports of child victims of sexual abuse and these are the only children who dared to speak, who did not keep the 'kept secret'. The secret that the perpetrator persuades the victim not to testify especially when the abuse comes from a person who knows, admires or loves, children who are silent and carry the guilt and shame of the act ".

November 18 - European Day for the Protection of Children against Sexual Abuse - is reportedly "the beginning of a collective effort for all of us to declare zero tolerance for child sexual abuse."

It is added that "in order for the present day not to remain empty of meaning, it requires our own vigilance, the recognition of our own obligations: to reveal and report every case that comes to our knowledge, to inform the children properly and to empower them so that they can recognize harmful behaviors and gestures and be encouraged to speak up and report such phenomena. "

It is primarily necessary, it is emphasized, "coordinated actions by the competent authorities and state services to safeguard the best interests of the child, both preventively and at all stages of the process: the investigation of the complaint and the speedy trial of the case, the support of the victim and of his family, but also the immediate application of inclusive sex education at all levels of school ".

"Every 27 minutes, in a symbolic match of 27 hours, a person joins his voice with us: 'Not one' is our motto. "Until one a day to become one!", It is mentioned in the announcement.

(ΚΥΠΕ / ΚΔ / ΗΦ)