Daily Star/ANN - Incidents of violence against children in the country rose by 18.75 per cent in 2018 compared to the previous year, as 4,566 children became victims of different types of violence and torture last year, said Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF).

The number of children facing violence and torture was 3,845 in 2017, BSAF said while disclosing its annual statistics “Child Rights Situation-2018” at a programme at the capital’s Dhaka Reporters Unity today.

The actual number of violent incidents against children could be even higher as many such incidents remained unreported, said BSAF Chairperson Khawaja Shamsul Huda, adding the forum prepared the data based on reports published in the country’s 15 leading Bangla and English dailies.

According to BSAF data, 2,354 of them became the victims of unnatural deaths while 812 faced sexual harassment.

Of the unnatural deaths, 418 incidents were murders which is 23.30 percent higher than the previous year. Also, 627 children were killed in road accidents and 606 children drowned, which is a 75.63 and 54.99 per cent rise respectively than 2017, it said.

However, the number of sexual harassment incidents was 9.17 percent less than that of 2017, it added.

On the other hand, 38 incidents of child marriage were reported last year while 134 children could avert such malpractice due to government intervention, BSAF mentioned.

Also, in 2018, only 31 child murder cases and 50 child rape cases saw verdicts in courts, BSAF said.

These indicated impunity and a delay in efforts to reduce violence against children, BSAF Director Abdus Shahid Mahmood said, while disclosing the data.

Addressing the programme, National Human Rights Commission Chairman Kazi Reazul Hoque said, “We want that there will be no child marriage and no child will become a rape victim.”

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