|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 20 October 2002 |
 |
|
 |
News |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
All-out war against child sexual abuse by Farah Macan Markar "Child sexual abuse has increased so much in the country today, it is like a disease, eating the lives of our children, destroying forever their childhood and innocence", said Mrs. Thilini Navaratne, Chairman of Child Rights International while addressing a press conference at Hotel Nippon on "Save the children from child abuse and develop the children". The conference was organised by Child Rights International and the Media and Cultural Centre of Puttalam North West. Mrs. Navaratne stressed on the importance of discussing the issue, rather than keeping quiet about it.She said that religious leaders, civic leaders, teachers, parents and most importantly of all, the children themselves need to be educated and made aware of what is happening. "Our organisation takes on this responsibility to inform people and make them more aware of child sexual abuse". In 1999 the organisation conducted a survey in which it was found that there were, 1400-2000 cases of child sexual abuse during that year. This however is only the number of recorded cases as a large number of cases go unrecorded. Most of the victims were from poor families, used by foreigners and rich locals. At times parents make use of their children to earn money, selling their child's body for their bread and butter. "The most deadly and frightening part of all this", says Mrs. Navaratne" is that children thus sexually abused grow up to be the next generation who abuse others.A father does it to his son, and the son will do it to his son". The exploited become the exploiters. Ven. Thambulle Panyaratne Thera who also spoke says that child abuse in Madurankuliya, Puttalam, is high. "We once had a case where a twelve year old boy separated from his family, for sometime, sexually abused two smaller children by inviting them to come and play with him. Unknowingly, they happened to be his two brothers." |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
