Almost 30% of child sex abuse survivors in Goa are male: VAU

Panaji: The state’s victim assistance unit (VAU) has revealed that almost 30% of survivors of child sex abuse are male. The VAU analysed 3,949 cases documented between 2014 and 2026 that were referred by various authorities. Female survivors constituted 70.8% of the cases.


VAU coordinator Emidio Pinho said people are often shocked to learn that boys can also be victims of child sexual abuse (CSA). “Society often perceives boys as strong and masculine, and therefore not vulnerable to abuse. In some cases, even parents find it difficult to believe that their son could be a victim of CSA,” said Pinho.


The VAU has witnessed a wide range of perpetrators, from illiterate individuals to highly educated working professionals.


During its prevention and awareness work, the VAU has faced several roadblocks. Some schools are reluctant to conduct joint awareness sessions for boys and girls, while others permit sessions only for girls. The unit stressed the need to create awareness among boys so that they neither become victims of abuse nor perpetrators of violence.


“Such awareness sessions should be conducted jointly in schools so that children grow up to become more responsible adults, develop mutual respect for one another, and contribute towards creating a safer society for all,” Pinho said.


The report analyses trends in sexual abuse, domestic violence, kidnapping, assault, trafficking, and related offences, including victim demographics, perpetrator relationships, and geographic distribution.


Of the cases documented, the most common place of incidence was the victim’s residence, accounting for 46.3% of cases. “This refutes the myth of one’s home being the safest place,” said Pinho. Public spaces such as roads, lanes, and parks accounted for 24.6% of cases.


A significant number of cases were also reported from private spaces such as hotels and rented rooms. “This indicates a lack of accountability wherein the onus lies on hotel establishments to restrict the entry of children with unrelated adults as per the Goa Children’s Act, 2003,” said Pinho.