The issue of sexual abuse on children is rarely something spoken about openly.

This is especially so when cases of violence against youth happen within the family, at home where kids feel they should be safe.

But when a child dies as a result of sexual abuse, the story makes it way into the headlines and onto the public agenda.

[Dr. Isaac Kadman, Director, Israel National Council for the Child]:
"In the last year there have been close to 25-hundred sexual abuse cases in Israel that were officially reported to the police and investigated. We know without any doubt this is just the tip of the iceberg. A large number of cases do not get exposed."

Several laws have been proposed by members of the Israeli legislature to protect children from this kind of abuse.

Some have passed while others have yet to be voted on.

[MP Danny Dannon, Chairman, Committee for Child Rights]:
"At the moment we see there is no progress, no cooperation (between the various authorities)."

Although there are laws to protect children, MP Dannon says they aren’t always enforced.

[MP Danny Dannon, Chairman, Committee for Child Rights]:
"There are rules that are approved, for example the law authorizing supervision of sex offenders, and there is an authority designated to supervise, yet the law is still not enforced."

Council for Child Welfare Director Dr. Isaac Kadman says his organization sometimes gets help from the media on exposing this issue.

[Dr. Isaac Kadman, Director, Israel National Council for the Child]:
"When we see that a certain law is not being enforced, we contact the media to do investigative reporting on that issue. It is a means for enhancing enforcement."

So who is inflicting the abuse? MP Dannon says it’s often someone the child knows well.

[MP Danny Dannon, Chairman, Committee for Child Rights]:
"We see that a very high percentage of child abuse is inflicted by people they know. They are not necessarily pedophiles whom we all abhor and who should get treatment. Most cases of abuse are usually committed by people who the children know and trust, who take advantage of the children."

Dr. Kadman says there are also cases of kids who are sexually abused by their peers.

[Dr. Isaac Kadman, Director, Israel National Council for the Child]:
"Last year there were over 350 cases out of 2,500, 350 cases in which children sexually abused other children. And the age is dropping, some of the sexual abuse victims are as young as ten years old and even less."

Some believe that one of the reasons for sexual violence is the exposure to pornographic materials, mainly on the Internet.

09:30-09:45[MP Danny Dannon, Chairman, Committee for Child Rights]:
"The issue of the Internet has been discussed many times by the committee. We encourage making site screening programs mandatory in homes and schools so as to screen out offensive sites."

Treatment of children's sexual abuse consists of prevention through information given to parents and children. 

It also includes therapy for abused children and those who have become sexual abusers themselves.

In order for this phenomenon of child sexual abuse to diminish, both the victims and the offenders can go through treatment to address the issue.

But in the end, no one law can solve the issue; it’s a matter of the veil of silence being broken through.

This report was made by Israela Yblonka
NTD, Israel.

Photographer: Anat Markram