Sexual child abuse has been on the rise in Vietnam in recent years, with 8,200 cases reported during the past 5 years, according to the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs. Many cases have been detected and denounced recently, but still many others remain undetected. According to participants, the real number of Vietnamese children being sexually abused may be much higher than estimated. The reported number may only be the tip of the iceberg.
The settlement of a child abuse case in Vietnam is rather complicated. In Vietnam, sexual abuse, especially of children, is such a culturally sensitive issue that the families of both victims and offenders do not want such incidents to be publicly revealed.
