Despite Govt, NGO efforts child abuse is prevalent - GA Kegalle

B. W. Eheliyagoda Kegalle special correspondent

The Government, as well as Non Governmental Organisations of international repute have spent vast sums of funds for child welfare and protection but in spite of various measures implemented child abuse and often criminal acts towards children are reported often, said Kegalle Government Agent Prema Dissanayake.

She was addressing a meeting of the National Childcare Authority officers at Kegalle District Secretariat auditorium.

Zonal Directors of Education, Divisional Secretaries, Grama Niladharis and AGAs of Kegalle district participated in the discussions presided over by the Chairman of the National Child Care Authority Jagath Wellawatta.

The aim of these discussions was to introduce to the relevant officers of the proposed programme of the National Child Protection Authority to organise committees both under rural level and at the school level to look into the interest of childcare and to minimise child abuse of all nature including criminal acts and various atrocities committed on the children of all age groups.

The Government Agent Prema Dissanayake in her address to the assembled officers pointed out that it was often found that little action resorted to preclude before some nasty incident or act on a child took place in the respective home or in the environs where the child lives.

Generally, the legal procedures adhered to after a child being abused by some criminal element and that both boys and girls are equally subjected to natural and unnatural harassment and abuse.

She said therefore, the parents of the children, the elders responsible in bringing up the child should be educated of the types of child abuse committed on the children so that such opportunities may be evaded with care and attention before a child could become a prey to some criminal element.

The Chairman National Childcare and Child Protection Authority Jagath Wellawatta said that in every school there should be an environment to create friendliness, consolation and happiness in the child for him/her to grasp the education imparted by the teachers.

The proposed school-childcare and child protection committees in schools will play a key role along with the tutors in character moulding in the child.