Children are more vulnerable right now

Photo: Filepic/The Star

IN September, the Women’s Centre for Change (WCC) handled 15 telephone counselling cases of sexual violence involving child victims below the age of 18, our highest monthly total to date. The WCC wishes to highlight the impact of Covid-19 on children’s vulnerability to sexual violence and exploitation. These are mainly committed by family members and trusted persons.

During the movement control order (MCO) period between March and May, the WCC saw a near doubling of child sexual violence cases. Compared with January and February, when we handled three and four cases respectively, the number of cases rose to an average of seven a month between March and May. While the numbers may look small, even one case is one too many, and children’s risk of sexual abuse during Covid-19 is of great concern.