'Elderly among most frequent child abusers'

MANILA, Philippines - The Center for Prevention and Treatment of Child Sexual Abuse (CPTCSA) reported yesterday that even old people or senior citizens up to 80 years old have abused children left under their care.

Zeny Rosales, CPTCSA executive director, said records from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) showed that of the 9,000 cases of child abuse reported in 2007, some 3,000 were offenses committed by old people.

“Statistics revealed that sexual abuse was committed by the elderly, the oldest offender was 80,” Rosales told reporters during the weekly news forum Friday Balitaan sa Rembrandt Hotel in Quezon City.

She said aside from incest cases involving the elderly relatives, there were also teachers, lawyers, doctors and even priests and pastors who were accused of being child molesters.

Rosales said sexual assault on children usually starts with the molester touching the sensitive parts of the body, so the CPTCSA is advocating the education of children to give them the courage to say no to sexual advances by older people and report the offenders to authorities.

She said they are also calling for the education of the elderly on how to deal with children and how to behave when they are with children.

“The cases of incest among the elderly is triggered by the absence of both mother and father who are (usually) working,” Rosales said.

The highest number of child abuse cases was reported in Central Luzon, particularly in Angeles City.

The CPTCSA also reported that children are exposed to sexual advances from members of the opposite sex of the same age because of the proliferation of pornography in the Internet and pirated DVDs found in the home.

“It begins with curiosity, then sexual fantasy,” she said.

Rosales raised the concern on sexual abuse of children as they prepared for the observation of National Awareness for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuses and Exploitation next month.