Speaking at an event marking the 2026 Action Month for Children on May 15, Nguyen Thi Nga, Deputy Director of the Department of Mothers and Children under the Ministry of Health, said authorities prosecuted and investigated 518 child abuse cases during the first quarter of this year.

The cases involved 649 suspects and 535 child victims, an increase of 25 cases, or 5.1%, compared to the same period in 2025.

Child sexual abuse continued to account for the highest proportion, with 462 cases involving 507 suspects and 467 child victims.

The figure represented nearly 89% of all reported child abuse cases.

Nga said recent child abuse incidents that sparked public outrage reflected the reality that abuse against children is often a “hidden crime.”

Many cases continue for long periods without detection or timely reporting to authorities, she said.

According to Nga, numerous children have suffered prolonged violence at the hands of stepfathers, their mothers’ partners, or even close relatives within the family.

In some cases, abuse continued for days or weeks while people around the victims remained silent and failed to intervene.

The official described the situation as deeply alarming and said it reflected significant gaps in child protection awareness and parenting skills among many families.

Nga also noted that Vietnam continues to face a shortage of child protection personnel at the grassroots level.

Although the Law on Children has required local-level child protection officers since 2017, many localities still have not assigned sufficient personnel.

As a result, local authorities face difficulties monitoring children considered at high risk, especially those living in families affected by separation, divorce, step-parenting, or unstable caregiving situations.

As part of the event, the Department of Mothers and Children signed a cooperation agreement with a partner organization to strengthen maternal and child healthcare efforts during the 2026 Action Month for Children.

Under the plan, the two sides will cooperate with 32 hospitals nationwide to distribute 100,000 essential gift packages to pregnant women and mothers after childbirth.

The program will also organize extracurricular communication activities and provide around 4,500 gift packages to female students in multiple localities across the country.

N. Huyen