Parents urged to safeguard children against sexual abuse

Parents and guardians are being urged to be more vigilant in supervising their children to protect them from sexual abuse.

In making the call, Inspector of Police, Florence Clarke, who is attached to the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA), said officers are dealing with too many cases of early initiation of sexual acts and abuse among children.

She noted that children, aged eight to 12, are being taken in for care and protection after they have been sexually abused.

“We have a monster that continues to haunt us daily of sexual intercourse with persons under the age of 16, where our children are being victimised by adults – males and females – and by their peers,” she said, while addressing a recent meeting of the St Andrew South District Consultative Committee Conference at the Pembroke Hall High School.

Clarke urged intervention by the Consultative Committee in addressing the issue.

She said it is important that parents receive assistance to speak to their children about sex and personal safety.

Under the Sexual Offences Act, it is unlawful to have sex with anyone under the age of 16.

The role of CISOCA is to investigate all sexual offences that have been reported and to ensure efficient and effective investigation into all allegations, as well as enhance rehabilitation of victims through counselling and therapy.

The St Andrew District Consultative Committee (DCC) serves as a forum to increase police-citizen engagement in facilitating discussion and developing and implementing effective action plans to address problems affecting communities.

- JIS News

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