Deputy Prime Minister requests to strengthen the fight against child sexual abuse

The Government Office has just conveyed the opinion of Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, requesting competent authorities to strengthen the prevention of violence and child sexual abuse.

The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs is assigned to study, amend and supplement policies to ensure children's rights; handle cases of violations of children's rights promptly and strictly; and assign focal agencies to be responsible for receiving and resolving cases of violations of children's rights.

The Ministry is also responsible for coordinating with relevant organizations to guide the establishment of specialized groups at the commune level to protect children, headed by the commune chairman; members include people working in child protection, the youth union, the women's union, medical staff, and the Red Cross.

The National Committee for the Protection of Children's Rights established an interdisciplinary inspection team at ministries and localities to implement children's rights, especially in preventing violence and sexual abuse; preventing drowning; and food safety.

The Ministry of Education and Training directed localities to review all preschool facilities, especially in industrial parks and export processing zones, to take measures to monitor, care for, and prevent violence and child abuse.

The Ministry of Health will research and provide specific guidance on determining the level of mental health damage to abused children and the level of disability for children with autism spectrum disorder to serve as a basis for judicial handling and the development of appropriate support policies.

Recently, there have been many cases of child abuse that have outraged public opinion. On the evening of April 1, in the elevator of Galaxy 9 apartment building, Nguyen Khoi street (District 4, Ho Chi Minh City), Mr. Nguyen Huu Linh (61 years old, from Da Nang) forced and kissed a little girl. Mr. Linh was the former Deputy Director of the Da Nang People's Procuracy, retired in mid-2018. Initially, he only admitted that he found the girl cute so he "caressed" her, but did not physically touch her.