AMERICA/COLOMBIA - Abuse and violence on minors: no decrease in cases involving even newborn babies

Bogota (Agenzia Fides) – According to official figures, in Colombia an act of sexual abuse is reported every 120 minutes. Of every ten cases, seven of the victims are children. In 80% of the cases reported, the aggressor is someone close, a parent, other relatives, friends or other minors. In January and February this year the investigators of Colombia’s national Department for the protection of Children and Adolescents received 2,600 complaints of sexual violence on minors. During 2016, Colombia’s Institute of Legal Medicine dealt with 17,908 reported cases of minor victims of sexual abuse. This year 2017 is not promising.
From January to March some 4,315 minors under 17 received assistance. Most cases involved children between 10 and 14 years. Followed by children of five and nine years. Not even new born babies are spared this cruelty. Almost 500 infants ranging from new born to 4 years old, were examined for suspected cases of sexual abuse. Colombia’s law inflicts for a minor a punishment of eight years applied only in the case of homicide. The maximum punishment is 60 years detention, but for this type of crime against minors many want life imprisonment.
(AP) (26/4/2017 Agenzia Fides)

Share:

minors

---

---