Special Protection

Special Protection

Child Labour Exploitation

Child Labour Exploitation

Juvenile Justice

Juvenile Justice

Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking

Child Abuse and Sexual and Commercial Exploitation

Child Abuse and Sexual and Commercial Exploitation

Child Adoption

Child Adoption

Prevention of Child Abuse

Prevention of Child Abuse

Let’s end violence against children

Let’s end violence against children

Your silence is an accomplice

Your silence is an accomplice

Let’s break the silence

Let’s break the silence

A painful reality behind closed doors

A painful reality behind closed doors

Child abuse: a painful reality behind closed doors

Child abuse: a painful reality behind closed doors

 

Your silence is an accomplice

© UNICEF RD/S Rosario 2009

Santo Domingo, September 10th, 2010- Within the first six months of the year, 159 families filed denunciations for different forms of sexual violence committed against children and adolescents, out of which 51 were due to aggression. Likewise, there were 40 cases of seduction of  boys and girls but barely 11 of them filed charges against their perpetrators for sexual harassment.
 
Also, the final result of all these complaints remains unknown, nor the professional support that the victims could have received, all of them children and adolescents.

The magnitude of this reality deserved more coverage, but the majority of these events never transcend.
Some of the reasons that would explain this phenomenon are fear to retaliation and the persistent vision in society that domestic violence and abuse are a private matter. Also present is the lack of formal and efficient informative procedures.

Both, the lack of awareness by the families, such as parental negligence, and of other adults and professionals (police officers, health professionals) among other, surround these cases of sexual violence against children and adolescents with silence.

This is where “Una voz por la niñez” surges, a social movement that aims to sensitize Dominican society regarding the reality of these events where children are the silenced victim. It aims to transform Dominican society in a scenario of change. It requires all society to join in, for eradicating violence against children and youths, requires everybody’s commitment.

With “Una voz por la niñez” UNICEF calls out to the world to show that Dominicans are part of the problem as well, but wish to become part of the solution.

At the same time, “Una voz por la niñez”  pursues to demand the Dominican government assume a public commitment to work alongside responsible entities and organisms in the creation and development of an effective platform of denunciation and follow-up  to the different cases of violence committed against children, that it be secure for both the victim as well as the plaintiff. It is proven by experience in other countries, that the creation of this system is the first step towards battling this sad reality.

Break the silence, join our movement with your signature and partake actively in our campaign. We invite you to check out our website www.unavozporlaniñez.com