A total of 62 cases of rape, defilement and sexual assault have been reported so far this year in the Central/Eastern Division.

The Sexual Offences Unit in Nabua has revealed that out of these 62 cases, more than 70% of the victims are under 16 years of age and majority of them are attending schools.

The youngest child who has been raped is 3 years old while the eldest female who has fallen victim to sex related offences is 50 years old.

The sexual offences unit has also confirmed that many people who have fallen victim are now coming up to report the matter to police compared to previous years.

It has also been established that continuous awareness programmes on child abuse and sexual offences gives courage to victims to come out openly and report the matter to police.