REPORTING of child abuse cases almost doubled in 2006 compared to the year before, with one in three involving sexual abuse.
The figures were announced by Justice Minister Sophocles Sophocleous yesterday, who said the police had investigated 114 cases of child abuse during 2006, in comparison to the previous year’s 65 cases. In 2004 the figures were even smaller, with only 49 incidents reported.
Speaking after meeting with the president of foundation The Child’s Smile, Sophocleous said: “Unfortunately we are observing a successive increase in this phenomenon and we are naturally concerned as one out of three cases involve sexual abuse; an unacceptable and unallowable phenomenon that needs to be halted.”
The minister exchanged views and experiences with the foundation’s representatives, which he said aimed at creating a national alert plan that abused children can turn to when in need.
“Our aim is to offer a smile to our children in any way we can,” said Sophocleous.
He added that the police were in the process of re-organising their policies and strategies to combat child abuse in Cyprus more effectively.
“The people of The Child’s Smile foundation have been working hard, methodically and effectively since 1995 in a bid to restrict the phenomenon, offering at the same time love and affection to children who face abuse, children without parents, children who suffer nightmarish, antisocial and inhumane experiences, and they have had exceptional results since 1995,” Sophocleous pointed out.
The Sunday Mail has for months been reporting on the case of “Hannah”, a girl who’s father was charged with sexually abusing her and whose case will be dropped in January after almost a three-year delay.
The damage this has caused this little girl – according to her mother, child psychologist and her grandmother – is irreversible. The attorney-general, the Justice Ministry, Child Welfare Services and the police have all said their hands are tied in relation to Hannah’s plight.
And as the statistics released by the Justice Ministry yesterday show, Hannah’s is not an isolated case:
l Child abuse cases reported to police: 49 in 2004, 65 in 2005 and 114 in 2006. Police investigated a total of 228 child abuse cases in the three-year period.
l Cases that were sexually related: 15 in 2004, 26 in 2005 and 41 in 2006. A total of 82 cases (36 per cent of all abuse incidents) in those three years were to do with the sexual abuse of minors.
l Cases that were filed to court: 41 in 2004, 50 in 2005 and 80 in 2006. Police completed investigations on 171 cases and filed them to court over the three-year period.
l Cases where the charges were dropped: four in 2004, three in 2005 and 11 in 2006. Charges were dropped against the suspect in 18 cases.
l Cases that are still under trial: three pending from 2004, eight from 2005 and 36 from 2006. A total of 47 cases are have been pending for at least a year in Cyprus courtrooms.
l Cases where the suspect was convicted: 24 in 2004, 33 in 2005 and 27 in 2006. There were 84 convictions involving child abuse from 2004 until 2006.
l Cases where the suspect was acquitted: 10 in 2004, six in 2005 and six in 2006. A total of 22 suspects were cleared of charges.
