Cameroon: Social Affairs Ministry Reveals Over 500 Children Experienced Sexual Abuse In 2020

During the First Ordinary Session of the Year 2021 at the National Assembly, the Minister of Social Affairs, Madam Pauline Irene Nguene was questioned by Parliamentarians on issues within her competence, and amongst them, how the Ministry was tackling issues concerning minors rights and protection of people with disabilities, the social integration of vulnerable people, the fight against juvenile delinquency and the increase in violence in both physical and social networks, as well as assisting people who are victims of Social and War Trauma.

The Minister spoke extensively on the issue of child victimization in Cameroon this past year, especially in the two troubled Anglophone regions.

Minister Pauline Irene Nguene added that many children in these regions like the rest of the regions plagued with crisis have experienced various forms of psychological trauma.

Breaking them down to specifics, the minister specified that at least 1074 children witnessed physical abuse, 977 of them suffered from different forms of Economic exploitation and more than 427 children including 98 boys were victims of rape in the year 2020.

To assist the children in managing the crisis, the Minister of Social Affairs also said that more than 14,000 Internally Displaced Children benefited from psychological care, amongst which more than 1500 benefitted from school placements from the technical and operational units of the Ministry.