Latest update April 1st, 2025 5:37 PM
Region Seven has highest rate of reported child sexual abuse -CPA attributes increase to awareness
The Cuyuni- Mazaruni, Region Seven, has recorded the highest reported number of sexual abuse against children, with a 5.6 per 1000. This new overwhelming data is according to a half-year report conducted by the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA).
Director of CPA, Ann Greene
During an interview yesterday, Director of the CPA, Ms. Ann Greene, stated that even though there has been an increase in the reporting aspect, it does not mean that there is a higher percentage of sexual abuse against children.
She stated, “When you see that people report a high rate, it does not mean that there is more abuse. It says that we are getting people to report more and bring more awareness.”
The January to August 2019 report further revealed that Region Nine, Upper Takatu – Upper Essequibo, attracted a rate of 3 per 1000; Region Ten, Upper Demerara- Berbice, 2.9; Region Three, Essequibo Islands- West Demerara, 2.7; Region Four, Demerara Mahaica, 2.5; Region Five, Mahaica- Berbice; Region Eight, Potaro Siparuni, 1.8; Region Six, East Corentyne – Berbice, 1.7 and Region One, Barima- Waini, 0.8, respectively.
The Director was keen to note that for years the department was affected by a lack in reporting. However, due to the consistent awareness campaigning and new channels such as hotlines, Greene stated that the agency has seen a breakthrough.
“We attribute the more reports on what we do at the community level, the work we are doing with awareness, even social media. We have even done child abuse messages in Amerindian languages, going on radio stations, and every week, we have officers going to these radio stations.”
There are two social workers officers in Region Nine and from their work “…they hit up a storm; they went to all the schools with the children and explained to them about “good and bad” touches.”
The CPA Director revealed that from that awareness campaign, the reported cases of child abuse exponentially increased in Upper Takatu- Upper Essequibo.
“Now Region Nine is on the list. It was never there before. Just by placing two officers there with the awareness agenda in mind and we saw a drastic change. We also went down there and did a whole training for women.
“We brought them out to Lethem and we did a whole training thing—I expect that the level of awareness will go up. I am very pleased with our awareness work, we have been communicating for development,” she said.
To add to the issue of sexual abuse, Greene stated that they are still battling with the issue sexual grooming of children.
“Most times, the people who are sexually abusing these children are the people in the house. They are the people who the children trust. Children are groomed but they are groomed by the people they trust,” she related.
The Director reveals that grooming can alter the child’s sexual preference “because we have men grooming boys, women grooming girls. It robs the child of the person that child was meant to be.”
Moving forward, Greene relates that the Child Protection Agency is looking to create a child protection policy for persons who have daily interactions with children, such as coaches and teachers.
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