The incident of children abused sexually is increasing, said Huynh Cong Hung, an official of the municipal Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

About 1,000 children are sexually abused nationwide each year, he added.

In HCM City alone, 16 cases of child sexual abuse were discovered in the first six months of this year, six more than the same period last year, according to a record submitted by city police at the workshop. Most of the cases were found in the districts of Binh Khanh, Cu Chi, and Binh Tan and 12.

Children are being sexually abused at an earlier age, said Hung, pointing to the fact that the upward trend in child abuse is happening despite strengthened communications and many regulations issued by the government.

Dinh Nguyen Thien Kim, Deputy Head of the Forensic Medicine Centre, said that this was because children have not been provided with knowledge of sexual abuse and reproductive health.

The best way is to teach the issue at schools, she suggested.

A representative of the city police said that films, feature stories and plays relating to reproductive health and child sexual abuse should be aired on television.

Tricks commonly used in child abuse must be publicised, he said.

Dr Nguyen Trong An, Deputy Head of the  Child Care and Protection Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs said the budget allocated for child abuse prevention should also be increased.