Report Lifts Lid on Sexual Abuse of Pupils in Serbia

Four children in every average school class  [25-30 pupils] in Serbia have experienced some kind of sexual violence but only 7 per cent of those who knew of such cases have reported this to the authorities, the results of the first National Study On Child Sexual Abuse show.

Dusica Popadic, director of the Incest Trauma Centre, who presented the report on June 9thsaid that the study was important as the problem of sexual abuse of children was finally entering public discourse.

"This issue can no longer be avoided. As adults we often avoid the subject but after this it is clear that something needs to be done," Popadic said.

While four in ten pupils aged 10 to 18 years have suffered some form of sexual violence, another four know someone who was sexually abused, the report claims.

The most common place where sexual violence occurs is the home - 33 per cent of cases. The gender dimension of the report shows that four out of every five sexually abused children are girls.

Zorana Luzanin, State Secretary of the Ministry of Education, said the ministry supported the study because every form of violence, especially sexual violence to children, was unacceptable.

"We hope such situations can be reduced to a minimum and that the educational system becomes a safe place for children to grow up in. Not only do we want that, but we will do everything to make it happen," Luzanin said.

One problem with child abuse is that it remains a taboo topic in Serbia. Data show that over 50 per cent of parents have never talked about the subject with their children and only 10 per cent of schools have initiated discussion of the topic, either.

Tim Cartwright, head of the European Council Office, said that about 20 per cent of children in Europe...