238 cases of sexual abuse so far for 2018-CPA - sexual regulations should be done at home

238 cases of sexual abuse so far for 2018-CPA – sexual regulations should be done at home

May 29, 2018 News

Ann Greene, Head of the Child Care and Protection Agency.

Head of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CPA), Ann Greene, is calling for sexual regulations to be done in the home to prevent children from being sexually abused.
The agency has recorded 238 cases of sexual abuse against children under the age of 18 for the year so far.
This finding comes days after reports of a ten-year-old girl who was raped by a close family member and a thirteen-year-old who was found to be five months pregnant.
Greene said that parents must pay attention to their children; they must talk to them about sexual abuse from an early age.
“I just want parents to pay a little bit more attention; sexual regulations must be done in the home. A lot of children are still without the knowledge that they must not have sex with father and brother and cousin,” Greene said.
She pointed to the many CPA advertisements regarding sexual abuse and its prevention.
“We are doing a lot of education; we want parents to sit down and talk to children, empower children and let them understand that they must not be touched in certain areas,” Greene said.
While she is aware that parents will not be with their children round the clock, Green explained that if children are empowered they would be able to recognise abuse and thus prevent it.
Most of the perpetrators committing these abuses, Greene said, are family members or persons who are close to the family.
She said that children are often told by their abusers that if they talk about the abuse with anyone no one would believe them.
She added that if parents talk to their children about this, they would be able to “open up to them (parents) and tell them if something has happened.”
A few days ago, a 10-year-old was reportedly brutally raped by someone close to her. Sources told this publication that the 10-year-old had to undergo surgery to repair the damage the child sustained. It is unclear who the perpetrator is.
In another shocking situation, this publication was informed that the Police are also investigating a case where a 13-year-old was found to be five months pregnant.
It was reported that the young woman told her mother that she was being abused but was dismissed.
The matter was reported to the CPA who took swift actions to take the child out of the abusive situation.
Sources said that the child was not given prenatal care; and because of her age, in addition to other factors, the child is deemed to be a high-risk case.
She is in the care of the CPA who is currently ensuring that she receives the necessary care needed.
The 10-year-old who was brutally raped is also in the care of the CPA while both matters are being investigated by the Guyana Police Force and the CPA.
Greene said that there are many other cases of child pregnancy, as a result of sexual abuse, reported to the CPA for the year 2018.
“A pregnant child is something we deal with; we face those a little too often,” Greene said.
Greene is pleading with community members to speak up if they know of a child who is being abused or neglected.
“You must be concerned with what is happening next door. It is not about minding your neighbour’s business; when it comes to a child, there is no minding of business,” she said.
She said that community members must look out for all children because “it takes a village to raise a child.”
“Some people don’t want the trouble, they know something is going on but everybody is saying that somebody else should deal with it.”
Greene also touched on the recent sensitisation session that was held for station sergeants.
She said that at the session officers were educated on how to deal with cases of sexual abuse that would be reported to them.
She noted that the sergeants are currently developing a plan to deal with the prevention of sexual abuse in their respective communities.
Greene said that there have been 601 cases of child neglect reported in Guyana so far.
She said that those are just the reported cases and explained that there are many others that were not reported.

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