In commemoration of this year’s Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Week, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Monday prodded the government to increase efforts in supporting victims and preventing more cases of child sexual abuse.
The agency said in a statement that child exploitation reflects a failure to protect the most vulnerable. The marginalised sector, now more than ever, needs the government’s utmost protection in unprecedented times like this. This warning comes at the wake of a pandemic that has led to worsening socio-economic factors, which according to the CHR, also led to an increase of child abuse and sexual exploitation. This statement is reinforced by the findings of the Department of Justice which has noted a 264% increase of online sexual exploitation of children amid the pandemic.