While most children find comfort and protection in their families and communities, some children are more vulnerable to abuse.
More than 130 child sexual offenses were reported this year in Lae, and 25 arrests were made for sexual penetration.
The statistics were reported from the Sexual Offenses Squad at the Lae Central Police Station.
Children have the right to protection from abuse, neglect and discrimination.However, the child protection system in PNG suffers from a number of barriers.
The Sexual Offenses Squad from the Criminal Investigation Division in Lae stated that 138 cases of child sexual offenses were reported this year. 33 cases of rape were reported of rape, 9 cases reported for attempted rape; and 14 cases were reported for sexual assault.
Furthermore, three cases for incest were reported for incest, and one case for sodomy.
For sexual penetration alone, 78 cases were reported at the Lae Police Station, with 25 arrests made.
This means the others were either dealt with out-of-court settlements, or compensation.
In other cases, the suspects are still on the run and not yet charged by police.
And in some cases, the complainants would not pursue or follow up with their complaints for reasons known to themselves.
