Caritas Chilaw has launched an awareness campaign to highlight the problem of child abuse in rural areas. The social arm of the Catholic Church in Chilaw diocese made a presentation yesterday on the issue to 40 women and 60 children in Akkara, a village within the diocese. Caritas has plans for another four presentations, or “awareness camps,” to take place in other parts of the diocese where abuse has been reported. “This is not a problem that has cropped up recently, but some alarming rural figures give the matter even greater urgency,” Steven Thisera, a Caritas counselor, told the mothers and children. “Shocking incidents are happening and many cases are being swept under the carpet.” A recent study indicated that 37.8 percent of 12-year-olds in Sri Lanka have experienced some from of physical abuse. It is generally agreed that the incidence is higher in rural regions. The Ministry of Justice also holds details of 1,126 reported cases of child abuse, involving boyfriends, family members, neighbors, teachers and strangers. “It’s not sufficient to talk to parents,” said Prasad Fernando, another member of the Caritas team. “Children, too, need to be informed as nobody knows who the predator is going to be.” Fernando added: “In our program, the children and parents are given various group activities with toys and stories to help them think more clearly about abuse. We also organize group discussions. Some of the activities were designed in conjunction with LEADS, a faith-based organization that has worked on child protection and development since 1995. “It’s not easy to educate children about abuse without strategies that an immature brain can grasp,” said Thushani Sanjeewani, program conductor at LEADS. It is thought that the need for parents to go out to work all day, or accept jobs in the Middle East and other countries, leaving children in the care of relatives and neighbors, is a major contributing factor to incidents of abuse. Recent media reports have suggested that abuse in children’s homes is also widespread. An evangelical pastor was arrested this month for allegedly molesting five girls under his care, while a number of Buddhist monks were recently arrested on suspicion of abusing children at their home. Related reports: Sex charge pastor not Catholic, says Church Caritas Sri Lanka promotes education