Gender ministry, on Thursday, reported 118 child abuse complaints filed in the month of May alone.
According to the statistics released by the gender ministry, there were a total of 239 complaints filed during May, out of which 118 complaints were of child abuse.
Disturbingly, most of the complaints received by the ministry are reports of child sexual abuse. 36 child sex abuse complaints were reported while there were 27 reports of physical abuse, 19 reports of mental abuse on children and four of bullying.
The ministry had also received reports of children who were deprived of their rights which included five reports of failing to provide an education, two of failing to provide clean water and electricity and a single report of failing to register the birth certificate. A report was also filed stating the lack of providing shelter for a child.
The gender ministry had made a statement last month, revealing that the ministry received 171 complains via their child help line from January till April out of which most were child sex abuse reports too.
In 2009, Maldives established it's first toll-free, 24-hour child help line.
In an effort to combat child sexual abuse, the ministry also runs a child sex offenders registry on its’ official website.
AVAS FILE PHOTO
