Number of crimes against children rising in Kyrgyzstan - Ombudsman

Bishkek, March 13, 2023. /Kabar/. According to data of the General Prosecutor's Office, 788 crimes and misdemeanors were committed in Kyrgyzstan in 2020 against minors, in 2021 there are 2,287 crimes and misdemeanors, the Office of the Ombudsman of the Kyrgyz Republic said.

According to the information, for 2020, data on children subjected to abuse and violence are presented by category: physical abuse - 171, sexual abuse - 71, psychological abuse - 39.

For 2021: physical violence - 222, sexual violence - 118, psychological violence - 77, and according to data of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, since the beginning of 2022, more than 400 facts of violence against children have been registered in Kyrgyzstan. Of these 400 facts, 55 cases are sexual violence.

Among 55 cases of sexual violence, 19 cases of rape, 5 attempts of sexual violence, 23 attempts of sexual violence against minors were registered, the office said.

The official data on the prevalence of violence against children is very limited and does not reflect the real scale of the problems.

Parents, surrogates, children, choose not to address law enforcement, child protection authorities due to distrust or fear, gender insensitivity or unfriendliness of the justice system, violation of confidentiality and possible social exclusion, the report said.