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  • February 18, 2025
Human trafficking and sex crimes lead to crimes against children – report

Human trafficking and sex crimes lead to crimes against children – report

STAR ILLUSTRATION

Data from the judiciary shows that human trafficking and sexual exploitation account for more than half of crimes against children. According to the National Council for the Judiciary, defilement, incest, child pornography and human trafficking make up 70 percent of all crimes brought to court.

“The majority of cases (46 percent) were related to sexual abuse and exploitation, including defilement, attempted defilement, incest and child pornography,” said the 2023-24 report of the Chief Justice Martha Koome-led council.

Child trafficking followed at 20 percent. The cases registered in the criminal justice chain, including police stations, show that 13 percent of cases of missing children and 2.9 percent of parental abductions occur.

Others are theft and cruelty to children at 2.9 percent. Child organ harvesting and trafficking, denial of the right to education, child abuse and abandonment made up 1.4 percent of the registered cases.

The most affected age is 13-15 years at 32 percent, followed by 16-17 years at 22 percent, 10-12 years (19 percent) and 7-9 years (15 percent). In the 0-3 age group there were six victims, while in the 4-6 age group there were three.

According to the report, Nairobi is increasingly hostile to children and accounts for the lion’s share of children exposed to various forms of violence.

Other forms of abuse suffered by children include physical, sexual and emotional abuse, as well as harmful cultural practices such as female genital mutilation and child marriage.

“Some children are also vulnerable to substance abuse, radicalisation, hazardous work and online exploitation,” the report says.

Of the 117,602 cases of violence against children recorded nationwide, Nairobi led with 16,855 cases. Kiambu had 9,660 cases, Nakuru and Machakos recorded 5,377 and 5,432 cases. Kakamega had 4,171 cases.

Other top provinces include Bungoma (3,712), Kisumu (3,708), Murang’a (3,655), Narok (3,386), Migori (3,207), Mombasa (3,001), Embu (2,952), Busia (2,834), Meru (2,599) ), Makueni (2,289) and Siaya (2,361).

Samburu and Marsabit recorded the lowest incidents of child violence and abuse: 3.76 and 486. The council recommended counseling as one of the ways to help victims.

“Forty-six percent of the children have received professional guidance designed to help them cope with emotional problems and psychological trauma,” it says.

According to the report, 16,267 new child cases were filed during the reporting period, of which approximately 16,119 were resolved.

To improve access to justice for children, the judiciary holds the children’s jury every year in NovemberA child-focused service initiative is being promoted this month.

The report also mentions some of the efforts of the judiciary to improve the lot of children by involving the judiciary by organizing a conference to discuss better strategies.

The International Conference on Child Protection was held at nofrom December 22 to 24 last year at Daystar University, involving all actors, local and international, in the judicial arena.

The conference focused on initiatives aimed at protecting and caring for children without parental care within families and communities.