Africa-Press – Angola. A total of 1,894 cases of evasion of paternity were registered during the first half of this year, announced Wednesday (31), in Luanda, the National Institute for Children (INAC).
The numbers released by INAC are the sum of the face-to-face complaints, as the “SOS – Child” Complaint Service, terminal 15015, records 2,753 cases of evasion of paternity.
Data released, in Luanda, by the National Institute for Children (INAC), assigned to the Ministry of Social Action, Family and Women’s Promotion, emphasizes that the numbers of escape from paternity represent a sad reality and a worrying picture given that children make up the largest segment of the population in the country.
Cuando-Cubango, Namibe and Lunda-Sul are the provinces with the lowest number of registered cases of estrangement from paternity.
UNICEF, the report adds, considers the flight from paternity a matter for the whole of society and not just for some families, which must be fought to prevent today’s victims from becoming, tomorrow, offenders and promoters, conscious or unconscious, of an evil that affects everyone.
The report also highlights the existence of a great deal of work to be carried out in order to lead to a change in mentalities and behaviors in order to reverse the current situation. “We must ensure a future for children.”
“It is urgent, today more than ever, to adopt more effective measures, from awareness-raising, counseling and even the most serious ones, to exemplarily inculcate people who refuse to assume responsibilities towards their descendants”, warns the document.
Violence Against Minors
The provinces of Luanda, Benguela, Huambo, Huíla and Bengo recorded the highest number of cases of violence against minors in that period, totaling 1,689 cases.
Another case that stands out in the balance presented by INAC during the first semester is sexual and psychological violence, which totaled 2,745 occurrences, followed by abandonment. According to the institution, the figures presented do not reflect the totality of cases that occur all over the country, due to lack of complaints. “There is still silence from victims for fear of reprisals, shame, social judgment and lack of adult support”, highlights the document.
For INAC, the Executive has worked tirelessly in awareness-raising campaigns on the subject, in order to guarantee the protection of children against practices such as sexual abuse.
Ignored Records
The Ministry of Social Action, Family and Women’s Promotion, clarifies the INAC report, is also concerned with cultural practices and beliefs, which promote violence against children and, generally, do not reach the competent institutions for the due registration in official statistics and subsequent monitoring of victims.
INAC’s balance also includes a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) subprogram to combat violence against children in Angola, which aims to help effectively mitigate the threats of violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect, discrimination and exclusion against minors.
UNICEF, clarifies the balance of INAC, intends to create and implement new communication strategies to change social habits, which address practices harmful to children, such as child marriage, in order to develop awareness of the rights of minors and in protecting against estrangement from paternity throughout the country.
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