Vietnam Women's Union

VWU press release on child sexual abuse

31/03/2017

According to quick reports from women’s unions at local levels and the information from media, there have been incidents of child sexual abuse throughout the country, causing anger and concern in the society and among VWU members and women. Child sexual abuse causes serious and long-lasting consequences on children and their families and negative impacts on the society.

Being the organization representing and protecting the rights and legitimate interests of women and children from all strata in Vietnam, the VWU recognizes that child sexual abuse is a serious violation of the child rights, strictly prohibited and punished by law and should be condemned by the whole society.

Within their functions, women’s unions at all levels have been working closely with in-charge agencies, local authorities and relevant organizations to handle this issue drastically and persistently to protect the rights of the abused victims and ensure the strictness of the law and precise prosecution. The women’s unions have asked in-charge agencies to timely intervene, promptly resolve and strictly handle the cases in compliance with the regulations of law in order to prevent and deter similar acts in the coming time. The women’s unions also closely follow the case and support the victims and their families to ensure the safety, support, care and rehabilitation for the child victims; and provide their families with consultancy and legal assistance.

Regarding to some recent specific incidents, such as the abuse of a girl in Vung Tau city, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, the Vietnam Women’s Newspaper under the VWU has detected and persistently investigated the case for nearly 1 year with 21 articles. As early as in July 2016, the VWU sent a request to the Ministry of Public Security and recently to the leaders of the Supreme People's Procuracy of Vietnam and the Ministry of Public Security to urgently settle the case in order to protect the rights and legitimate interests of the girl, contributing to the prevention and control of child sexual abuse. At present, women’s unions at all levels, especially at the central level, are still following closely the case and persistently urge the in-charge agencies to promtly carry out the prosecutions and thoroughly tackle the issue.

The VWU will continue to request the in-charge agencies to strictly observe the regulations of prosecution, taking into account the psychological and biological characteristics of victims while dealing with the cases related to people’s particularly children’s life, health, dignity and honor.

We look forward to cooperating with agencies and organizations working on women’s and children’s right protection to detect and provide full, accurate, objective and multi-dimensional information for in-charge agencies in order to quickly handle the case in compliance with the law.

We would like to respectfully thank press agencies for their cooperation in raising a voice and bring public attention to the cases of children and women abuse.