Uíge – At least 3,185 cases of violence against children have been registered since 2018 in Uíge Province by the National Children's Institute (INAC), the director of the institution in the region, Rosária Alfredo, said Wednesday.
The most common cases were of sexual abuse, paternity denial, child labour and ill-treatment, with the municipalities of Uige, Negage, Maquela do Zombo and Sanza Pombo in the top of the list.
Rosaria Alfredo made the statement, while speaking at a forum of the Provincial Office for Social Action, Family and Gender Equality, held under the slogan "Municipalisation the 11 Commitments to improve and protect children".
To reduce cases of violence against children, the INAC in Uige has been holding talks in churches, schools and other public places, with the aim to raise awareness of the families about the need to protect children.
Rosaria Alfredo explained that in 2006 a child protection network and knowledge transmitting was created in Uíge, Songo and Mucaba municipalities with the aim to teach the population about the importance of the culture of denouncing cases of aggression and other crimes against children.
Arminda Fernando Felipe, local director of the Provincial Social Action, Family and Gender Equality Office, on her turn, explained that the forum aims to prepare the 8th National Social Action Forum, as well as at assessing the degree of fulfillment of the municipalisation of the 11 commitments for children.
According to the report presented by Social Action, the institution controls 16,705 orphan children, while it suspects of the existence of at least 64 children living in the street, accused of witchcraft. EP/JAR/AMP/jmc
