This report is issue no. 44 of LCHR's Economic & Social Rights series. It monitors violence events practiced against children in the second half of 2005, aiming to recognize the forms of violating children rights in the Egyptian press. The report shows that the cases of violating children rights has reached a total of 230 cases, physical and sexual abuse of children at school and in the household was represented by 68 cases, household violence against children was represented by 44 cases, negligence in children's social, educational, health and food rights was represented by 63 cases, accidents of delinquent children were represented by 5 cases, child labor accidents were represented by 4 cases, official violence against children was represented by 3 cases and other accidents "road accidents" were represented by 43 cases.
These accidents were published by the Egyptian newspapers as follows: 48 accidents by El Masry El Youm, 43 by El Ahrar, 39 by Nahdet Misr, 35 by El Wafd, 22 by El Ahram, 7 by each of Akhbar El Youm and El Naba'a, 4 by each of El Haqiqa and El Gomhoreya, 3 by El Ghad, 2 by each of Saut El Omma, El Osboo'a, El Khamees, El Fajr, El Omal and El Tagamo'a and one by each of Afaq Arabeya, El Akhbar, El Maydan, Mayo, El Mesa and El Araby.
These accidents were presented during the second half of 2005 as follows: 52 accidents in June, 42 in August, 28 in September, 43 in October, 35 in November and 30 in December.
It is worth mentioning that the LCHR has previously issued a report about violence against children in the first half of 2005 indicating that violence accidents against children have reached a total of 349 cases, assaulting children was represented by 106 cases, bad working conditions 14 cases, household violence 66 cases, negligence in care 81 cases, violence against the society by children 13 cases and road accidents 69 cases.
In the preliminary section, the report undertakes the concept of violence and abuse against children which is "every negative or positive intentional or unintentional behavior that deprives or reduces the chances of child to enjoy any of his/her rights" like the cases of physical, sexual and mental abuse and assault, depriving or reducing children rights in family care, food, health and educational care, living in a clean environment or any other rights done by those obligated to guarantee and protect these rights.
The report also indicates that 40 million child worldwide under the age of 15 suffer from negligence and mistreatment, and need health and social care. In Egypt, 37% of children state that they are beaten by their fathers after being tied up, 26% of them suffer from broken bones, unconsciousness or permanent disabilities.
In the first section, the report undertakes the forms of violence practiced against children "68 cases":
• sexual abuse inside schools was represented by 7 cases in Gharbeya, Cairo and Qalubeya governorates
• household sexual abuse by relatives or family members was represented by 4 cases in Monofeya, Gharbeya, Ismaileya and Cairo governorates
• sexual abuse of children outside their homes and schools was represented by 26 cases in Sharqeya, Cairo, Qalubeya, Gharbeya, Alexandria, Giza, Kafr El Sheikh, Monofeya and Sohag governorates
• violating children rights in schools was represented by 3 cases in Cairo and Qalubeya
• violence against children outside their homes and schools was represented by 28 cases in Cairo, Alexandria, Sohag, Behira, Qalubeya, Gharbeya, Giza, Kafr El Sheikh and Asute governorates that include kidnapping for revenge, theft, ransom, beggary, punishment … etc.
In the second section, the report undertakes household violence against children "44 cases", which have varied between gating rid of children because of forbidden relationship, poisoning by the stepmother, punishment, selling children for money, beggary, dispute among the parents, doubting kinship, mental illness, revenge … etc.
In the third section, the report undertakes child labor "4 cases", indicating that child labor is rarely undertaken by newspapers although it is a wide spread phenomenon in both urban and rural areas, which have varied between mistreatment by employers and dispute at work because of poverty.
In the fourth section, the report undertakes negligence in children's social, educational, health and food rights "63 cases", which is divided into 4 parts:
1- The first part presents negligence in children's social care represented by 39 cases.
2- The second part presents negligence in children's health care represented by 14 cases.
3- The third part presents wasting children's right in educational care represented by 6 cases.
4- The fourth part presents violating children's right in food represented by 4 cases.
In the fifth section, the report undertakes accidents of delinquent children "5 cases", for theft, forming gangs, jealousy … etc.
In the sixth section, the report undertakes official violence against children "3 cases", which have varied between apprehension and arrest, torture to admit to a crime and street chases.
In the seventh section, he report undertakes other accidents like road accidents "43 cases" either on the road or riding a transportation vehicle to/from the work place.
In the eighth section, the report presents some remarks and recommendations as an attempt to stop violence against children, such as:
• Demand the formation of a new department at the ministry of justice specialized to monitor and observe child treatment inside detention areas "police stations and social care foundations", in addition to following up and observing the investigation of torture and mistreatment of detained children.
• Juvenile foundations must not be only for punishment, but they also must be for treatment, confirming the necessity of developing professional and craft training programs inside these foundations according to the needs of the working market outside these foundations.
• The state must work on stopping the danger of the child labor phenomenon by providing actual monitoring to working children and establishing a special committee to receive children complaints and quickly investigate them and make the necessary procedures to protect the rights of working children.
• Make new policies to improve the living and financial conditions of the families of these children, and activate the texts of free education.
• Provide health units and central hospitals with the necessary medical requirements and equipment suitable to face accidents and emergency cases.
• Work on implementing development programs that provide suitable working opportunities, decent housing and public services for the families of these children working in the unofficial sector with limited incomes, to improve the conditions of these children and protect their right in decent living.
The LCHR demands all CSOs in Egypt to work together in implementing these recommendations to improve children conditions, stop violence and abuse practiced against them and guarantee a safe future and a more just and humane country.