Thousands of children in Ecuador face violence in schools

More than 7,300 boys and girls are said to have been sexually abused in schools Ecuador According to a report released by the organization, over the past decade Human Rights Watch （Hard Red Winter), this Wednesday, July 24, 2024.

The organization stated in its report that in the past decade, 6,438 cases of sexual violence committed by members of educational institutions were reported in the country. Some of these cases involved two or more victims in the same incident.

If complaints against school transport drivers between January 2014 and June 2024 are taken into account, the number rises to 6,516.

The international organization also pointed out shortcomings in the Ecuadorian government’s response to preventing and combating cases of sexual violence in schools, adding that the government’s measures are not enough to keep all children and adolescents safe.

that’s why, Human Rights Watch He urged the administration to allocate resources to prevent such incidents from happening. In addition, he urged an investigation and Effective criminal procedure All cases of sexual violence in education.

Children’s Rights Coordinator, Human Rights Watch, Katherine LaPointe“The Ecuadorian government’s response and prevention measures do not match the urgency and severity of the problem,” it said.

Complaints Registration

Human Rights Watch It is believed that educators often do not know or follow the precedence of the reputation of educational institutions, The Agreement Ministry of Education Requires reporting of sexual violence cases. This leads to underreporting of complaints.

He also mentioned that “the student counselling department is seriously understaffed (ten)” center, including psychologists and educational consultants.

Concerns about the justice system

Human Rights Watch He also pointed out that in the judicial system Ecuador Sexual crimes against children and young people are not investigated or adequately prosecuted, making it difficult for victims to obtain justice.

The report noted limited experience in handling cases of sexual and gender-based violence against children, as well as a shortage of prosecutors or limited availability of psychologists, doctors and sign language interpreters in judicial proceedings.

“In order to effectively eliminate sexual violence on campus, Ecuador Impunity must end and complicit behaviour that exposes thousands of girls, boys and teenagers to abuse and undermines their right to be safe in schools,” he said. The bridge. Effie