Save the Children and Handicap International have published a report on sexual violence against children with disabilities. The report highlights that children with disabilities are the most marginalised. This means that they are unable to speak out about abuse against them. For those who do report it, their cases are often ignored or mismanaged. This leaves them highly vulnerable to sexual violence.

The UNCRC and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities clearly prohibit sexual violence against all children, including children with disabilities. Children with disabilities are especially vulnerable to sexual violence because of entrenched social and structural discrimination against them. The report observes that “Shrouded in taboos, and far from a political priority, this issue has, until now, been largely ignored.” The report is based on evidence generated from a global literature review and first-hand research in four African countries.

Recommendations include the following:

• Tackle social and structural discrimination that presents children and young people accessing services.
• Provide high quality, free services that respond to sexual violence against children with disabilities.
• Support children and young people with disabilities to play an active part in society and in the services that affect them.
• Make children and young people with disabilities more visible, both in society and in development programming.
• Ensure that national laws and policies prevent and respond to sexual violence against children.

WEB LINKS FOR THIS ARTICLE

Click here to view the Report on Sexual Violence against Children with Disabilities