Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey, has disclosed that within the last year 463 cases of child abuse have been reported. Of this number, 126 were of a sexual nature.These startling figures were revealed on Wednesday during the 2023/2024 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure debate in Parliament, where Humphrey, who recently supported the new Child Protection Bill, said that the figures of abuse cases being reported to the Child Care Board, have been worrying.“The Child Care Board over the course of the last few years has been dealing with cases of abuse. In the period 2019 to 2020, there were 495 cases of abuse of children. In 2020 to 2021 437 cases of abuse reported; in 2021 to 2022, 538 cases, and between April 2022 and January 2023, 462 cases of abuse.”He added: “If you consider last year, the sexual abuse cases last year were 126…that is a sexual abuse case every three days. Therefore the legislation that is guiding the ministry, must be legislation that is fit-for-purpose.”
