CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police in Central Visayas believe that the involvement of the community and other agencies is crucial in addressing sexual abuse problems involving children in the region.
This as data from the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) showed that there are a total of 442 sexual abuse cases involving children in the region so far this year.
Police Colonel Arniel Catarata, chief of the Regional Headquarters Support Unit of the PRO-7 said there is an improvement, though, on solving cases as they noticed that both the victims and their parents are now open to seeking help from the police.
“Yung mga station natin, they have women’s and children’s protection desk. Our personnel are trained to [handle] these cases and very cooperative naman ang mga parents. Marami naman tayong na prosecute na talaga,” Catarata said.
Catarata said that based on studies, poor parental guidance and how children are nurtured at home are some of the reasons why children fall victims to sexual abuse.
“Based on studies and statistics, there are so many factors, isa is poor parental guidance ng parents. Mayroon din yung nurture paano pinalaki ang mga bata at tska environment,” Catarata said.
According to data from the PRO-7, the number of sexual abuse cases in the region is declining in the past two years. In 2020, there were 656 reported incidents involving children. In 2021, the number dropped to 548.
“We continue to hunt these people, especially sa lower units natin. We hope that pababa hanggang ma eliminate natin yan kung pwede [through the support of other agencies], Catarata said.
/bmjo
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