Child abuse

Press, 16 July 1987, Page 20

Child abuse

Sir, — I seek clarification on a situation when child abuse is obvious and persistent. Where does an informant go, when told that the police policy is, “Sorry but we can't do anything unless the child complains”? This seems to contradict what the public is exhorted to do in such unhappy crises. The type of victims who are inarticulate and cowed, are never able to approach forbidding (to them) officialdom, are our children. I hope the above attitude is not the official police policy. — Yours, etc. LORNA ANKER. July 3, 1987. [Deputy Assistant Commissioner E. T. Mitten replies: “It is quite incorrect for your correspondent to suggest that the police will not do anything about child abuse unless the child involved actually makes a formal complaint. The police, like other agencies and specialists in this field, view child abuse as a serious matter. We know only too well how difficult it can be for children to talk about some things that have happened to them, but this does not prevent or deter us from giving high priority to investigating complaints or information received about a suspected incident. In these cases it is important that intervention takes place at the earliest possible time to ensure that the abuse of the child stops. If your correspondent has knowledge of any such case, she should contact a member of the Child Abuse Unit of the Christchuneh C. 1.8. and discuss the problem.”]