The Minister of Health launched Wednesday the National Register of Child Abuse, which he said would equip experts with the data required to tackle a “not yet widespread” problem. “The rates are still low compared to some major countries,” the minister said, adding that instances of abuse consist of individual cases which should be looked at on an individual basis. Minister Abdullah Al-Rabeah, speaking at the launch at Riyadh's King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in the presence of Princess Adla Bint Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, Vice President of the Family Security Program, said that there were 38 Child Protection Centers in the Kingdom, with 21 under the jurisdiction of the ministry. Director of the National Register Huda Qattan said it had so far recorded 94 cases of child abuse including 46 instances of physical assault, 42 cases of negligence and 19 sexual assaults.
