BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – Brunei’s efforts to combat child abuse continue to face challenges, with 481 cases reported to the Community Development Department (JAPEM) since 2014, including twelve new incidents in the first five months of this year.
The data was shared by Nurul Nazurah Jaya, acting assistant director of JAPEM’s Persons with Disabilities Section, during the first National Conference for Persons with Different Abilities on June 11.
These cases — categorised under sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect — were mostly reported through government channels, including the police, the Medical Social Work Services, the Department of Schools, and JAPEM hotlines.
The data shows a peak of 70 cases in 2016, followed by a subsequent rise between 2022 and 2024, with 60, 44, and 44 incidents reported in each of those years.
Nurul Nazurah attributed the increase in reported cases to better awareness and reporting mechanisms, following the implementation of the National Framework on Child Protection in 2020.
The framework outlines national strategies and prioritises investments in safeguarding measures, such as the creation of a Child Protection Register in 2022, as well as putting in place reporting systems such as the Kebajikan 141 hotline and ANAK 121 hotline.
Legal protections for people with disabilities were strengthened with the enactment of the Persons with Disabilities Order in October 2021, which includes provisions for a National Registry of Persons with Disabilities, along with harsher penalties for abuse and neglect.
Nurul Nazurah stressed the importance of safeguarding vulnerable groups, especially children and persons with disabilities, from all forms of exploitation and harm, including exposure to domestic violence and emotional abuse.