Reported child abuse cases increase

Shillingford

Minister for Social Services, Community Development and Gender Affairs Gloria Shillingford says the abuse of children is not peculiar to Dominica but a worldwide phenomenon, which is not only to a threat to the life of children, but has actually occasioned the death of children.

She made the remarks at a press conference to officially mark the commencement of Child Abuse Awareness Week in Dominica.

“Within the local context, child abuse has always been with us but has always been a matter of national concern,” she said.

Shillingford said in 2010 there was an increase of reported child abuse incidences in comparison to 2009.

“During the year 2010 there were 209 reported child abuse cases, whereas in 2009 there were 117 reported cases … This could be attributed to the increase in public sensitization and awareness on the issue of child abuse in Dominica; however it has been proven that the majority cases are factual,” she said.

She said the most reported form of abuse was sexual abuse with a total of 147 reported cases, in comparison to 72 reported cases in 2009, which is an increase of 75 reported cases.

“Physical abuse and neglect was the second highest form of abuse during 2010 with a total of 28 and 21 reported cases, respectively,” she said.

Shillingford said an area of particular concern is incest. She said the trust of children in immediate relatives is betrayed since incest is committed by the child’s relatives.

“There were 18 reported cases of incest. Also of concern are pregnancies occurring due to child sexual abuse. The record shows 13 reported cases of teenage pregnancies for the year 2010,” she said.

The Social Welfare Division has chosen the theme “There is no excuse for child abuse, save our nations children”.

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32 Comments

  1. June 14, 2014

    The cases of sexual child abuse is not levelling off.

    Not only are they not levelling off they are increasing.

    It is obvious whatever the “authorities” are doing is not enough. It is no wonder that Non Governmental Organizations (NGO) are now being formed to fight back against this the worst evil :twisted: of the 21 century. We are seeing:

    Cases are not being reported.

    Cases that are reported are sometimes not properly investigated.

    Cases that are properly investigated are not always brought to trial.

    Cases that are brought to trial are sometimes not properly tried with competent judges.

    The sentences are not sending the right message out to pedophiles and potential offenders.

    The thing that troubles me the most is when a serious life destroying offence is reported to the police and they do nothing except send a couple officers around to listen to the complaint and write the paper work.

    Who gave them the option not to prosecute? :roll:

    We want our local newspapers to be on every case and tell us (a) what charges are being laid, and (b) when it will go to court.

    Until this is done we need citizens who care enough about their children and their grandchildren to make phone calls, write letters, and sign petitions asking why, why, why ??? and demanding answers.

    As long as our taxes are paying police salaries do they not know we – the people – have a right to hold them accountable :?:

    And we will :!:

    Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. International Evangelist.

    Director of Living Hope Ministries.

    http://www.livinghopeministries.ca

  2. concerned
    January 25, 2011

    So what about therapy, counseling for the children who are victums of child abuse so that they dont grow up to repeat the pattern? the 3 year old who I mention above was abused by a teenager who, at age 4, was sexually abused repeatedly by an older man who was a neighbor. the parents covered it up and pretended it didnt happen, The boy has always had problems and is now, in fact, in jail for another offense. Will he and the 3 year old ever be able to get help in Dominica?

  3. WHAT A JOKE
    January 25, 2011

    IF THERE WAS 147 sexual abuse cases….WHY WAS THERE ONLY ARE HANDFUL OF ARREST………….SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE

  4. WHAT A JOKE
    January 25, 2011

    WE NEED A 24 HOURS CHILD ABUSE HOTLINE…………………………………….AND HOLD PARENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS

  5. FED UP DOMINICAN
    January 24, 2011

    Sorry that should read defenceless children.

  6. FED UP DOMINICAN
    January 24, 2011

    OK enough talk about a serious crime that is being commiteed against defence children. Lets now see some action. It seems like every other week someone is making a speech about child abuse, with the major type of abuse being sexual.

    If there was 13 reported cases of teenage pregnancies due to child sexual absue, how many of the offenders were prosecuted. What other proof is needed to bring the offender to court. The authorities dont even need to question the child or have the parents consent to prosecute. If there are not enough social workers to manage these cases, then employ more.

    Stop the blame game. Stop the cover ups. Start taking this problem seriously.

    As a parent I find it very difficult to understand how any parent could know that their child was being abused and keep it quiet, I’d want the offender punished at what ever cost. My children are my life, if they hurt I hurt.

  7. Mikes
    January 24, 2011

    It would be interesting to find out from the Minister if the prosecution of Sexual and other child abuse offenders went up by a corresponding amount as reported offenses. If not what’s the plan to reduce and hopefully iradicate this problem?

  8. real possie
    January 24, 2011

    is it me or gloria look like sally all she need is them shade’s

  9. concerned
    January 24, 2011

    A bit over a year ago, I was involved in helping a 3 year old boy who was most likely raped by his mother’s boy friend . I called Welfare numerous times to get help with the situation and talked to two people at there. noone ever showed up to investigate. the child needs help. where is it?
    I believe the problem is lack of staff to deal with problems, but it seems to me some kind of followup should be made!

    • Anonymous
      April 1, 2011

      if it’s still going on don’t stop trying to help. get proff cuz they cant do nothing with out it! or lets say they wont!!

    • September 3, 2014

      In places where homosexuals can legally “marry” they are now lobbying for the “right” to adopt children. In some places they already have this “right”.

      I find it hard to imagine growing up in a “family” where both parents are homosexuals. I know of a young woman whose father was a homosexual and her mother was straight. They lived together. Her father brought a homosexual “lover” home to live with them. The two men would copulate in a bedroom with the door wide open during the day. The girl said how embarrassed and frightened she was when she once walked in on them and witnesses anal sex. Other things happened DNO may not accept so I will spare you.

      In 1992 The Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy said “Homosexual men are here times more likely to engage in paedophilia (sex with children).

      Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons, a US psychiatrist, said “Every priest who I have treated who was involved with children had previously been involved in adult homosexual relationships.”

      Alfred Kinsey, the famous sex researcher, in 1948 found 37% of gay men admitted to having sex with children.

      Paedophiles are difficult to treat and left untreated will usually re-often. Homosexual paedophiles are almost impossible to cure.

      Some men have been known to date a child’s mother in order to get at one of her children. Men on the downlow will do this. These are homosexual men who date women and may even marry in order to keep their homosexuality under wraps.

      I think this story of a three year old boy being raped by his mother’s boyfriend and the Welfare didn’t investigate when it was reported is the worst I have ever heard. The Welfare people who did not investigate something this serious are as bad or worse than the offender. I would not blame anybody at this point for taking the law in their own hands.

      Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. International Evangelist.

  10. please i beg
    January 24, 2011

    please push for having a law agianst coRporal punishment. nothing goods comes out of it. it is abuse. i am a very angry person because of what was done to me as a child and my parents were christians. they are looked onin scociety as good parents. please put a stop to cRoporal puniShment i beg. THE VICTIMS bomes adults with phycological probelms. all reseerch that has beeen done shows tht it’s counterproductive so why should a child have to go throught this.

    a man is not supposed to hit another adult but they can hit a child over and over .this is just not right.

    • curious
      January 25, 2011

      @ please i beg…..copoaral punishment is not abuse…u just misunderstandin the two so if my son at the age of 6 steals and i hit him 5 strokes on the palm of his hands and i tell him never too steal again..u callin dat abuse…in ur case the way u put it sounds more like u were abuse…cuz if u cant beat young children wen dey do wrong wats ur method to correct.

      • please i beg
        January 25, 2011

        unfortunately parents do not hit kids in tht way, i bet you you don;t do it tht way either, have you never seen how dominicans beat their kids with leather belts and electricwires, branches from guava trees ect. you get hit all over. past the age of 7 no child should get beaten in any form. why should you hit a child who is able to understand right form wrong. it only works in the short term. hitting a child only satisfies the parents anger. it does nothing to make the child a better person in the long run. they will not commit the act if they know they are gong to be caught. but they will do if if theyknow that they can get away with it. not forgetting all the other problem it adds to a child mentally. the whole purpose of punishing a chold it to make him or her a better person. there are other ways to diciplne a child.mif you trully need help onmor efective means why don’t you research some progrms such as total tranformatioln etc.

        • concerned
          January 25, 2011

          right on

    • out raged
      January 25, 2011

      i was smacked as a child and i have no problem with it, i smack my child now when they do sum thing dangerous to them selves, i do not agree with BEATING children espeacilly with wip or weapon, that should stop, and criminal charges against the parent for doing such things

  11. out raged
    January 24, 2011

    a sex offender register shoulld be started in dominica, and any one man or woman involved with any form of abuse should be placed on the list and it should be made public, the amount of sex affenders there are in dominica and no one know, these people are living next to unsuspected families or taking advantage of single mothers by offering help to get close to the children.

    more heavier prosecution is needed, lets be as hard on sex offenders like we seem to be on drug offences, which is a much worse crime that weed

  12. Aaaaa
    January 24, 2011

    I’m not sure what rock you under but child abuse has been high for a very long time in DA. But hey at least now all you at least talking about it. Too bad talking without action is garbage!

    • curious
      January 25, 2011

      @Aaaaa…..so wat hav u done to help?

  13. Hugo Grotius
    January 24, 2011

    :lol:

  14. Give peace a chance
    January 24, 2011

    Wow! It seems like every bad thing is on the increase in Dominica. Where are we headed?

    • AC
      January 24, 2011

      Tell that to those who don’t want to admit that there is a crime problem in DA…
      Murder Rate – Gone up
      Rape – Gone up
      Child molestation – Up
      Fire Bombing houses – Up
      Drive-by Shooting – Up

      Every damn thing going up, but some people still just seeing red and blue…..at the same time more and more blood….This is just a shame.

      • c bruce
        January 24, 2011

        what else you want us to see eh?

        when they get shot you see red

        when they die you see blue

    • yes
      January 24, 2011

      please read,

      the amount that is REPORTED is increased. THANK god for that. the unreported cases are decreaseing.

      • AC
        January 24, 2011

        The unreported cases are decreasing? Really? WAW!!.. If they are unreported, how do you know that they are decreasing?

        • c bruce
          January 25, 2011

          i think yes was just being humourly sarcastic

        • lord
          January 25, 2011

          beaaaause the amount of reported cases are decreaseng obviously………………now somehting needs to be done about the amount of parents being reprimanded.

  15. ouch
    January 24, 2011

    Dear Minister you did not represent your self in your constituency on sunday i expected you to be there since you are the MP

  16. Dominica Sanitizer
    January 24, 2011

    Woman why don’t you just shut … What do you mean by this sentence? “This could be attributed to the increase in public sensitization and awareness on the issue of child abuse in Dominica” Who was responsible for that? It is definitely not your ministry? The norm was hiding people in high places and paying off parents hush money. If the spotlight was not thrown on it, by concerned citizens, you people would have your head buried in the sand and pretend it is not happening just like you pretend crime in not happening. It had to take an X porn industry worker and a pastor from St. Vincent to get all you on all your toes… Could you please tell me what it is exactly that you people do when you go to the offices in your various ministries! This bunch of you has brought Dominica to the dogs. Is not de speaker alone that need to be “throw de speaker out, de old speaker, make it hush it mouth” THz applies to all of you… Get people trained in public relations to write what all you have to say before all you come out with all you nonsense… Just making things worse for all you self!
    The fact that this is happening worldwide and has been with us for some time is no justification for the leaders to turn a blind eye and in some cases protect the perpetrators.

    • hmm
      January 24, 2011

      Disrespectful! You can make your point without being disrespectful.

      Now you all should be reading your bibles and read about prophesies so you won’t be disrespectful to the wrong persons like yourself. The enemy is alive and raging and we need to know more about our Father so we can understand what is happenning around us. We are blaming the wrong people and not looking inside ourselves to see where are also contributing to the malaise in our society.

      A ???? for you – what is your contribution to curbing this menace in our society? Is it being disrespectful to authority – first the Most High and then your fellow men. Our Father in Heaven would not condone such outburst and disrespectfulness to others . Saying things without facts, just repeating what is said here, there and everywher – gossip and rumour. We need to see you put some suggestions.

      • Dominica Sanitizer
        January 24, 2011

        First of all resect should never be demanded, anytime respcet has to be demanded. Huston, we have problem, People should be expect to be respected by virture of being in a position of authority? OK! So your point is mute! Pay me the amount of money that you guys are wasting on the people in “authority” and I will give you sone suggestions, why should I work and they get paid? HUH? tell tehm to Earn the respect they desire so much, as far as I am concerned they have not earned MY RESPECT!!! They are your bosses they are not mine. Capiche? You want facts! all you will never acknowlege the facts see how much facts all you have on the owner ship of the villas, the bin bobal, the fertilizer bobal, the land transaction bobol and all you refuse to accept it..

        • Dominica Sanitizer
          January 24, 2011

          One more point, didn’t Gloria disrespect the organizers of the “PEACE CONFERENCE” in her constituency when she didn’t attend or give them the courtesy of the reason why she could not be there? How do you call that? they were presenting ideas to deal with a serious problem in her constituency and she was not interested, what makes you think she would be interested in ideas to deal with child abuse? Oh Please give me a break!

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