National Children’s Registry received nearly 14,000 child abuse reports in 2024

Nearly 14,000 reports of child abuse and protection concerns were made to the National Children's Registry (NCR) last year, involving 25,005 incidents, according to the latest Economic and Social Survey Jamaica (ESSJ).

Of those incidents, 14,794 involved girls.

The number of incidents was significantly greater than the number of reports because "multiple types of abuse may have been reported for each victim", the ESSJ explained.

The number of reports received last year was 212 less than 2023 while the number of incidents was marginally higher than 2023.

The NCR, formerly the Office of the Children's Registry, was merged with the Child Development Agency on November 1, 2017 to form the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), according to its website.

Its main role is to receive reports of children who are missing, have been or are likely to be abandoned, neglected, physically or sexually ill-treated, or are otherwise in need of care and protection.

Behavioural problems topped the list of incidents reported to the NCR with 6,181, followed by neglect with 5,497, and 4,467 reports of children needing care and protection.

There were 3,180 reports of sexual abuse, 3,586 reports of physical abuse, 359 reports of child labour and 42 reports of child trafficking.

The ESSJ said of the 13,918 reports made to the NCR, 13,896 were processed, meaning they were assessed and referred to the relevant agencies.

The vast majority (12 061) was referred to the Investigation Services Unit (ISU) while other were sent to the Children's Advocate and to the police through the Criminal Investigation Branch, the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse and the Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime divisions.

Kingston accounted for 20 per cent, St Catherine 16 per cent, and St Ann 11 per cent of the abuse reports referred for investigation, based on data from the Child Protection and Family Services Agency, according to the ESSJ.

- Livern Barrett

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