Sexual violence against children is becoming astonishingly widespread globally – and our island paradise is no exception. At Intercontinental Trust Ltd (ITL), it took a powerful session with Pedostop, a local organisation committed to fighting child sexual abuse, for us to fully understand the wide prevalence of this scourge in Mauritius.
More importantly, the session took us through a training that has equipped us to create a safer and more protective environment for children by understanding signs of abuse and sensitising us to the importance of speaking up.
Step one: Raising Awareness
The session, organised by the ITL Foundation, our charitable arm, was truly eye-opening and unveiled some staggering statistics. Indeed, as many as 42% of respondents in Mauritius reported having experienced at least form of child abuse in their lifetime. In Rodrigues, 31% of respondents have experienced similar situations.
According to official statistics, 3,221 sexual abuse cases were reported from 2016 to 2023, and the number of victims is estimated to be around 107,366 at a minimum. In terms of gender specific statistics, as many as 1 in 5 girls become victims of sexual violence before the age of 11 years, while 1 in 13 boys face a similar fate.
Beyond statistics, the workshop was both instructive and deeply moving, offering insights into the often-hidden realities faced by children in our society. Many of us were touched by the personal stories shared and the staggering facts that revealed just how urgent and widespread this issue is. Indeed, in 92% of cases, the aggressor is a close friend or relative – be it family, neighbour or teacher – forming grounds for repeat offence. No wonder as many as 19% of Mauritians who were forced to engage in sexual activities experienced the same situations several times.
Such abuse has both short-term and long-term consequences for the victims, who face a gamut of issues ranging from post-traumatic stress, mental health problems, thoughts of suicide, a misplaced sense of guilt, and difficulty in forming intimate relationships. Thus, sexual violence takes a clear psychological toll on victims, which can affect them throughout their life and prevent them from forming healthy relationships at every turn.
Step two: Taking positive action
In terms of protective legal frameworks, Mauritius has enacted the Children’s Act 2020 which upholds the rights of children under various sections. For instance, Section 12 addresses the issue of marriage or co-habitation with a child and imposes a fine of up to one million rupees or imprisonment up to 10 years on offenders.
Similarly, Section 19 covers cases where children are caused, incited or allowed to be sexually abused, while Section 21 covers cases of child pornography. Other key sections are Section 22 which covers offenses related to ‘child grooming’ – making illicit arrangements to meet a child in any part of the world to engage in an unlawful sexual activity – and Section 26 which covers increasing instances of bullying, particularly cyberbullying.
The law also notes that any person undertaking professional or official childcare who has reasonable grounds to believe that a child that they are in contact with is either actively or potentially exposed to harm, must report the matter to the supervising officer or to the police. Those who fail to comply shall be liable to a fine up to 200,000 rupees and to imprisonment up to 5 years.
Step three: Creating a safe environment for children
Ultimately, the onus is not just on childcare service providers but also on each of us to spot the signs of child abuse and speak up.
A child who becomes withdrawn, appears anxious, turns uncharacteristically aggressive or shows unexplained changes in behaviour or personality should warrant a closer look.
On this note, the ITL Foundation renders its sincere thanks to the Pedostop team for the impactful work they do, and to all colleagues who attended the training in person or virtually. It does indeed take a village to raise a child – the right way.
