Africa-Press – Angola. One hundred 65 cases of sexual abuse of minors were registered by the National Children’s Institute (INAC), from January to March this year, said, this Tuesday, in Luanda, the deputy director of the institution, Elisa Gourgel.
He referred that 115 cases were registered by the SOS-child line and the rest in person, having regretted the fact that they occurred within the family.
He clarified that, of these violations, 25 resulted in pregnancy, “tragically” affecting the physical and psychosocial development of the victims of the petiz.
For Elisa Gourgel, the numbers reveal a worrying scenario insofar as the child is born into the bosom of the family and it is there where he must learn ethical and moral principles.
Unfortunately, he countered, the scenario is critical, as it is in the family environment where children are instrumentalized, raped and abused by the parent and other close family members such as grandparents, siblings, cousins and neighbors.
Given the seriousness of the situation, he made it known that the children monitored by the institution have registered high levels of psychological trauma, loss of speech, paralysis, lack of assimilation and retraction, marks that are stuck for life.
When a child is sexually abused, the greater good that is life is being destroyed, as the child begins to behave deviantly.
He said that there are records of girls, aged 11 and 12, who have left their homes and are on the street looking for someone to take care of them.
To get around the high rate of cases, INAC is working to fulfill the 11 Children’s Commitments, calling attention to each ministerial department assuming its responsibility.
He also pointed out the holding of moralization lectures in the communities, involving churches, to get around the situation.
role of the church
According to the pastor of the United Methodist Church, Vladimir Agostinho, unfortunately, the family has become a dangerous place for the survival of the individual.
For this reason, he called the attention of families to the need to show more respect and dignity towards children, which should take precedence over any type of need or individual interests.
In his view, this social nucleus should seek biblical support to guide their actions, promoting peace and harmony.
He appealed to parents to bear in mind that children are God’s inheritance and should not serve as sexual instruments for parents, many of whom justify that they should take possession of their daughters before they enter into a relationship.
He pointed out the belief in fetishism, excessive use of alcoholic beverages as also being at the base of this evil.
loss of values
For sociologist Cabral Bento, statistics on sexual violence demonstrate “a stark inversion of values”, because the family environment was designed for the protection and security of the individual.
In his analysis, he highlighted the social dissatisfaction and frustration resulting from the non-fulfillment of dreams by a good part of the members of society can be seen as causes of this “insane” behavior.
He stressed that some victims, even if they don’t show it, carry in their souls the psychological marks of sexual abuse, suffered at some point in their lives. “The wounds are sometimes so deep that the individual is never the same person again.”
He noted that there is still hope to reverse this gloomy picture, however, there must be a lot of work and commitment so that future generations are not seriously affected by this evil.
In his view, the policies designed for the protection of children in the country are ineffective and inadequate, above all, actions aimed at protecting victims and repairing the psychological damage caused to people who have been attacked.
In turn, clinical psychologist Gildo Augusto considers the situation traumatizing, as the child develops mental disorders, with emphasis on post-traumatic stress, which can progress to depression.
The specialist advised individuals with these tendencies to seek help, as they may be suffering from a sexual disorder that deserves psychological counseling.
In the case of the victims, he said, they also need psychosocial and academic assistance, so that they can free themselves from the plot of the rape and lead a peaceful life.
For parents, he drew attention to controlling the behavior of children and people around them, avoiding terms and bold touches with a sexual inclination that could lead to scenes of abuse.
He warned of the need for greater care with television programs and music content, as some compete to further encourage individuals to have promiscuous and careless sexual behavior.
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