3 Jun 2015

Unicef calculates child abuse costs

2:59 pm on 3 June 2015

Unicef has for the first time put a figure to the cost of Child Abuse in East Asia and the Pacific, saying it amounts to 209 billion US dollars a year.

Estimating the Economic Burden of Violence against Children in East Asia and the Pacific is the first report of its kind for the region and Unicef Communication Specialist, Andrew Brown, says the figures are a wake-up call for the region's governments.

Mr Brown says the report also shows that the situation for most Pacific countries is worse than in East Asia.

"We do want to use this research to take action and another thing to say is that every government in this region has signed the UN convention on the rights of the child, which does commit them to take action on this issue. And we are confident that with the right action we can get these figures down."

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Photo: Unicef