Twenty-six children awaiting court appearances are currently living in the Miguel Magone shelter after being abandoned by their families.
Executive Director of the Forum for Youth Forum for Communication (YFC) and Miguel Magone shelter Madalena da R. Pinto Baptista said the children would continue to live at the shelter until their court cases were resolved.
She said the children were victims of incest, as well as physical and sexual abuse.
“Nowadays, we have 26 children at the shelter house and most of them have been abandoned by their families,” she said at her office in Balide, Dili.
She added the children were transferred from the Vulnerable Person’s Unit (VPU), National Commission for the Rights of the Child (KNDL) and the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MSS).
She expressed concern that the poor economic situation of many families was leading to increased cases of child exploitation across the country.
Children from villages are often sent by their families to live with relatives in Dili while they attend school. However, in reality they are often told to work instead once they arrive.
Baptista said YFC was also working with the congregation of Catholic sisters at Bidau who look after orphans and provide support for their education.
Meanwhile, Member of Commission F (responsible for health, education, culture, veteran affairs and gender equality) MP Virgilio da Costa Hornai said the law clearly stated that those who exploit children for their own benefit are committing a crime.
“It is a crime and our state should look at the issue and protect our children,” he said.
He also called for a more in-depth investigation into the prevalence of child exploitation in the country.
