Parent's role stressed:

Over 840 children sexually abused in five months

The Children's and Women Bureau of the Police has recorded 557 cases of child rape and 291 grave sexual abuse cases against children upto end May this year, Children and Women's Bureau Director SSP Jayantha Wickremasinghe told the Sunday Observer, stressing the role of parents in protecting their children.

In addition the Bureau reported 318 cases of child abductions till May this year.

The Director said the highest number of child abuse cases have been reported from Ratnapura and Anuradhapura districts and they would initiate a study to find as the reasons for this trend.

According to him troubled family units were major causes for making children vulnerable for abuse.

"Most of the rape cases of minors are committed by a blood relative, a neighbour or a family friend. About 2 to 3 rape or child abuse cases get reported within every 24 hours.

When you take into account most of the cases where young children get abused, it always involves a troubled family unit, either the mother has gone abroad, or the father has gone abroad or father and mother have separated.

"When there is a strong family bond, the room for such acts or for abusers to approach the kids are very rare. When it is broken, the predators take advantage of this situation," he said. -MF