Agencies condemn violence

TWO agencies have condemned the increasing number of social media platforms showing acts of violence against children, calling on the Government to address the issue immediately.
The Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) and the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) said that it should not be allowed to continue.
OCFS director Simon Yanis said he was alarmed by the recent number of videos circulating on Facebook and WhatsApp “showing children being beaten or abused in different ways, in some instances with no or little clothes on”.
“We all need to be aware that the internet never forgets,” he said.
“Once images go online, it is almost impossible for authorities to retrieve them, thereby eternalising a child’s distress.
“Every action we take must safeguard the best interests of the child, including online.
“It is time for (us) to review our legal framework to ensure it is abreast with the fast-developing IT industry.”
Unicef representative Dr Claudes Kamenga said “combating crime against children online and punishing perpetrators must become a priority for the Government and development partners”. “Filming, uploading and sharing images and videos of child violence and abuse online constitute a serious violation of child rights,” Dr Kamenga said.
“We stand by the Government to ensure that the country strengthens measures to address this risk.”
A joint OCFS and Unicef statement said every PNG child had a right to protection under the Lukautim Pikinini Act 2015 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The two agencies said filming and sharing online images of children being abused “violates the child’s right to dignity, privacy and confidentiality under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, thereby causing long-lasting secondary and further trauma on victims”.