Friday, May 13, 2011

BELGIUM: "CHILD FOCUS" FIGHTS AGAINST CHILD ABUSE


Child abuse is real, protect your children



Child abuse is real, protect your children



Child abuse is considered a worldwide social problem that many institutions including UNICEF are fighting against to free children from bondage, sexual abuse and all kinds of crimes done against children.


One of such institutions in Belgium, which is tirelessly working hard to reduce or prevent child abuse in the country is "CHILD FOCUS". Every week the 'Child Focus' administration receives about ten complaints of sexual abuse against children, said Dirk Depover, the head of 'Child Focus'.

According to 'Child Focus' quarter of the victims of sexual abuse are children under 6 years and still, yet 30 percent of the children are between the ages of 7 and 13.

75 percent of the cases revealed that the victims do not know the perpetrators before been abused, while 10 percent comes from their neighbors and 7 percent from teachers or schoolmasters.

In the first months of 2011, 20 percent of child abuse cases were reported, according to 'Child Focus', this was probably the result of the outburst of sexual abuse within the church community. It is estimated that more than 60 percent of children have been sexually abused.

Further, an investigation has revealed that it is only 40 percent of abused cases are reported or known but the greater percent lies in the dark. Nothing about the case is known by the police.

As a result, the perpetrators stay free without facing the law for their crimes. They simply escape punishment and prosecution. In the file of child abuse cases, the internet is seen as the major cause out of the seven causes leading to this problem.

This is mainly about victims which can be accessed via chat or spicy spreading of images by someone known.

(The original publication of this article appeared in the Wednesday 4 May 2011, edition of "Het Laatste Nieuws", translation by the writer).