4000 incidents of child abuse reported in 2017

The National Child Protection Authority has received 3785 complaints since the commencement of the year 2017, the Authority says.

According to the Authority, these complaints regarding child abuse had been lodged through the National Child Protection Authority’s emergency hotline number, 1929.

The Authority states that the emergency hotline is active 24 hours a day, and can be used to lodge any and all complaints regarding child abuse.

Reports from the authority stated that the majority of the complaints received had been regarding violence inflicted upon children - 956 to be exact.

A further 602 complaints had been received regarding the deprivation of a child’s right to education.

212 of the complaints received had been regarding child abuse, whereas 214 more had been specifically about sexual abuse of children.

117 complaints regarding severe sexual abuse had been lodged.

A further 102 complaints had been received over child labour.

The highest incidence of complaints had reportedly been received from the Colombo District – 569 to be exact.

420 complaints had been lodged from the Gampaha District, 283 from the Kurunegala District, 259 from Galle, and 214 more from Ratnapura, according to the National Child Protection Authority.