Over 108,000 Child Abuse Complaints Recorded in Sri Lanka Over a Decade, Parliament Told
Alarming Scale of Child Abuse Revealed in Parliament
Sri Lanka has recorded more than 108,000 complaints of child abuse over a ten-year period, Women and Child Affairs Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj disclosed in Parliament, painting a deeply troubling picture of the scale of violence and exploitation faced by the country's children.
Decade of Data Exposes Persistent Crisis
The staggering figure, which spans the period from 2015 to 2025, was revealed by Minister Paulraj in response to a question raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa during a parliamentary session. The complaints were received and logged by the National Child Protection Authority, the state body mandated to safeguard children from abuse and exploitation across the island.
National Child Protection Authority at the Centre of Response
The National Child Protection Authority has been the primary institution handling abuse reports during this period. The volume of complaints received over the decade underscores the urgent need for strengthened child protection mechanisms, greater public awareness, and more robust enforcement of existing laws designed to protect minors.
Calls for Urgent Action
Child welfare advocates and parliamentarians have long called for greater investment in prevention programmes, counselling services, and community-level support systems to address what experts describe as a deeply rooted social crisis. The disclosure in Parliament is expected to renew pressure on the government to accelerate reforms in child protection policy and resource allocation to the relevant authorities.
Sri Lanka's child protection legal framework includes several provisions aimed at prosecuting perpetrators and supporting victims, but critics argue that implementation remains inconsistent and that many cases go unreported due to social stigma and a lack of awareness among vulnerable communities.
The latest figures serve as a sobering reminder that behind each complaint is a child whose safety, dignity, and wellbeing has been violated — and that concerted national effort remains essential to reversing this troubling trend.
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108,000 complaints in 10 years and how many actually got justice? tell me that
exactly. recording complaints is easy. doing something is another thing