By Quinton Alomp, EM TV News – Port Moresby
Papua New Guinea has no proper record of women and children sexually abused, however officials believe the figures are alarming.
Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee National Coordinator, Ume Wainetti, said the statistics varies with other organisations that deal with the issue but they believe cases of sexual violence may be worse in rural areas.
Official statistics from one of the FSV clinics in Port Moresby shows that over 900 people were sexually abused last year.
Ms Wainetti confirmed the statistics adding that most of the victims were women and children.
The Australian government runs a community justice office in Hela province, and in the last twelve months they have recorded over 1,000 cases.
Australian High Commission Second Secretary, Tess McSpedden, said most of the victims were women and children. She said some children were minors below the age of five.
But, Papua New Guinea still has no proper statistics to indicate an increase or decrease in sexual cases.
The case involving minors were treated with sensitivity by police and law and justice officers. There is a need to equip and build capacity of these officers to properly deal with cases of sexual abuse.
