Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bogota (Agenzia Fides) - More than two million children are victims of violence in Colombia: abused and displaced.
According to a document published by the Victims Unit, sent to Agenzia Fides, currently 2,182,707 children have suffered violence due to armed conflict, of whom 47 724 were victims of homicide. 30% of the total victims in the country were Young boys and girls. The document also shows that the lives of about 10 thousand children are at risk because of terrorist attacks, fighting or harassment, while 60 thousand suffered intimidation and threats. Other 8,600 disappeared, 683 were seized and 631 were victims of anti-personnel mines.
Sexual violence has affected 604 children, and 354 others have been tortured, some 250 have been deprived of everything and forced to leave their homes. It also revealed that two out of 10 children were abused when they were under 5 years of age, 43 out of 100 between 6 and 12 years of age, and 36 out of 100 between 13 to 17 years of age. According to sources of the Victims Unit, since 2010 the number of children involved in conflicts has decreased. Progress is still being made in the recovery of these victims. The Unit has also launched an appeal against the guerrillas of the FARC and ELN, so that they put an end to the recruitment of young children. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 29/01/2015)
