Family, neighbours greatest threat in child abuse cases report

Over 30,000 cases of child abuse were reported in the country over the last ten years.

Speaking on Tuesday after releasing a report on cases of child abuse between 2006 and 2016, Childline Kenya Board Chairman George Okado said most victims of child abuse remain unattended to.

“Only 48 per cent of calls made to report child abuse cases get the attention of our child protection organisation,” said Okado.

Since its setup 10 years ago, the helpline, 116, has received 6 million calls, with a total of 33,929 child abuse cases being reported so far and Nairobi leading in cases of child sexual abuse.

Okado, however, says Childline Kenya was undertaking a capacity building initiative to ensure more centres are opened up in counties to enhance reporting of cases of child abuse.

75 per cent of these cases are perpetrated by an immediate family member with the report indicating that neighbours were the greatest threat in sexual abuse cases.

According to the report, child neglect, trafficking and labour are the leading forms of abuse reported over the ten-year period.

The Childline case management, however, faces challenges including lack of an official standard of case management procedures, conspiracy to silence by families to protect offenders as well as a slow judicial system.