HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Child sexual abuse has been on the riseacross the country, with most incidents remaining unreported, police have said.

Between 2014 and 2016, more than 4,100 cases of sexual violence againstchildren were reported, with girls accounting for more than 80 percent of 4,140child victims, according to a report from the Police Department ofCriminal Investigation of Social Order under the Ministry of PublicSecurity.

In the first six months of the year, a total of 696 cases of sexual violenceagainst children were reported, with 710 victims.

Most of the cases were reported by relatives of victims or local residents,said Nhu Thi Minh Nguyet, Director of the Ministry of Public Security’sPolice Political Bureau Department.

Only six percent of the cases were discovered by public security officials,Nguyet said at a workshop held on Friday in HCM City.

Most of the alleged sexual abusers were relatives or acquaintances of victims,she said, adding that they took advantage of close relationships with naivechildren whose victims’ parents were at work.

Many recently reported cases involved sexual violence against children, ofwhich the majority of alleged abusers were foreigners.

Nguyet attributed the number of rising child abuse cases to lack of parentalcare, lack of gender education and life skills at schools, and the explosion ofthe internet and social networks, as well as tourism development. 

“Many incidents remain unreported as families of victims fear their children’sdignity and privacy will be affected for their entire lives if the incidentsare made public,” she said.

"Children who experience sexual abuse are more likely to be depressed andexperience other types of mental health problems and to engage in high-riskbehaviours such as violence and social evils such as drug abuse," sheadded.

More than 1,000 cases of sexual violence against children are reported everyyear and the reported cases are only the tip of the iceberg, said arepresentative of Binh Tan district’s Women’s Union.

[Vietnam works toܫ create safe, healthy environment for children]

Last year, a total of 13 cases of sexual violence against children werereported in the district.

A majority of victims were children of migrant workers who lived in boardinghouses and left their children at home alone when they went to work, she said.

In some cases, child victims had sex with lovers who are also young.

Most families remained silent and failed to report the cases to authorities ina timely manner, she said.

Local public security and women’s unions planned to strengthen public awarenessand public dissemination of materials about prevention of sexual violenceagainst children, which can play a vital role, said Lieutenant General Do KimTuyen, deputy director of the General Police Department.

Local public security and women’s unions should work with schools to offer lifeskills education for children, especially in disadvantaged localities with pooracademic standards.-VNA