According to data from the NGO Venezuelan Violence Observatory (OVV) in Carabobo State during the first four months of 2023, violence against children and adolescents grew exponentially compared to the same period in 2022.
Correspondent lapatilla.com
The coordinator of the OVV in Carabobo, Ms. Giannina Fusco, reported that, according to press monitoring, between January and April 2023 there were 24 cases of sexual abuse of minors, while in the first four months of 2022 the number was 13 cases. She recalled that in all of 2021, they counted 23 victims of sexual abuse.
Fusco pointed out that most of the time the aggressor is a relative or person close to the child’s entourage.
She stated that there are various factors that influence the increase in this type of crime, among which are the fact that many children have been left in the care of third parties because their parents emigrated.
She pointed out that in addition to this, according to HUM Venezuela, 54.7% of children no longer attend school, so they spend more time exposed.
“In the cases reported in the media, 54.2% were abused by a blood relative or by affinity, while 33.3% by a neighbor or acquaintance,” pointed out Ms. Fusco during the presentation of the report.
On the other hand, the OVV Carabobo coordinator pointed out that criminal violence stood out as the second crime with the highest incidence in this state during the first four months of the year.
She explained that 30 suspected criminals died in confrontations with state security forces, which represents 61.2% of violent deaths.
In second place are homicides with 17 cases, which translates into 34.7% of cases.
Fusco indicated that in the first quarter of the year they recorded two femicides. She said that the figure represents a decrease compared to the same period in 2022 when eight femicides were registered in Carabobo.
“The campaign that has been deployed through the media to warn about this problem in the state has given results. When there is information, there is prevention. It is very important that the statistics are published, that there is information, because this is the way to address violence, to design policies, to have a real vision of the state,” she said.
The OVV coordinator reported that the most violent municipalities, in all types of violence, are: Valencia, Guacara, Libertador, Juan José Mora, Puerto Cabello, San Joaquín, Naguanagua and Los Guayos.
“This is a call to public entities that have a map of the municipalities where they should apply themselves more forcefully, and moreover that this is not only one more type of violence,” she emphasized.