The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) reported a staggering total of 8,746 child protection complaints in 2024, highlighting the ongoing concerns surrounding child safety in Sri Lanka.
Among these, 580 complaints were related to incidents of sexual abuse, with 321 categorized as serious sexual abuse of children.
The largest share of complaints, totaling 2,746, involved general child protection issues, followed by 1,950 reports of child cruelty.
Additionally, the NCPA received 229 complaints concerning child exploitation, 42 complaints of rape, and 25 cases of sexual exploitation for commercial purposes.
Other serious concerns included 14 reports of child marriages and 151 incidents involving threats to release nude photos of children online.
The NCPA also documented 18 cases of attempted suicide, 120 complaints related to drug addiction, and 53 reports of underage pregnancies.
Furthermore, 39 complaints were received regarding children without birth certificates.
In response to the growing number of abuse cases, the NCPA is working to establish a pool of qualified lawyers to provide free legal services to child abuse victims.
The authority has called on experienced lawyers to apply and represent these victims in court, ensuring they have access to justice without any conflicts of interest.
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