1518 cases of child abuse for 2021

The Child Welfare Act National Database recorded a total of 1518 cases in 2021 of which seventy per cent were of child neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse.

This was highlighted by the Permanent Secretary for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Jennifer Poole during the National Child Safeguarding Policy Validation Workshop on Thursday.

She said the statistics were a combination of reporting to the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, consolidated with the calls received on the national child helpline.

She said the highest number of reports under the child helpline and under the child welfare act were for neglect, reported by nearby neighbours or concerned citizens.

“Neglect is of a wide variety’s, lack of supervision, lack of timely medical care, untimely or lack of food, those types of things that are being reported,” Ms Poole said.

“Children tend to call the helpline for issues that affect them personally like school issues, lack of stationaries or other issues whereas adults report cases of neglect or abuse.”

She said these cases were then addressed by social workers who go out for assessment.

“Once the case is assessed, there are a variety of services that can be offered, there can be ongoing counselling, referrals for clinical care, referrals to the police and legal aid,” she said.

Ms Poole said although the number of cases had decreased from 1719 cases in 2020, the current statistics was still worrying.