Outrage over alleged abuse of a 5-year-old boy by a teacher at a school in Bosa

Residents of the Olarte neighborhood in the town of Bosa have experienced difficult hours, specifically those located in the vicinity of the Nuevo Chile educational institution, due to protests by parents and neighbors in the sector over an alleged case of sexual abuse of a minor as young as five years old.

According to the residents' accounts, the protest had been provoked when the mother of the child concerned heard the case, but that the directors of the institution had allegedly been negligent before them without answering them. Provoking parents and neighbors to arrive at the place, writing on the walls phrases such as “IE Nuevo Chile cover-up... Alonso Violador”, burning tires and other elements generating tense moments in the sector.

Authorities and some members of the community tried to protect the facades of the school, ensuring that the educational institution (building as such) was not to blame for the atrocious event.

“I have been working in this school for 20 years and I have known the teacher for a long time, it seems strange to us that he is blamed, until the medical report comes out, until he really comes out as guilty that they accuse him but how are they going to destroy the school, the community is not to blame,” said a resident of the sector to the news program CityTV.

On the other hand, some parents affirmed questionable attitudes of the physical education teacher accused of abuse, such as asking students to wear shorts for exercises and certain assaults on some students.

The mother of the allegedly abused child carried out the proceedings yesterday before Legal Medicine and hopes that the protocol of action will be activated with this type of case. For its part, the institution Nuevo Chile has not spoken and today reported that it was not going to have classes.

Unfortunately, children are constantly threatened in the country, according to the report released by the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, in 2021 there were about 43,993 complaints associated with sexual abuse, of which 61% correspond to cases against children and adolescents. Of these, only 13% reported nationally are brought before a judge.

After this analysis carried out by the Laboratory of Economics of Education of the Universidad Javeriana, he highlighted that children, young people who are victims of sexual harassment or abuse have delays in their development, anxiety, stigmatization, low self-esteem, among other problems that cause three times lower performance in tests of States, more likely to repeat school resources and drop out of school.

According to the report, when they reach adulthood these abused minors will be twice as likely to be in poverty or have economic difficulties, poor job performance or problems getting employment.

“Many cases of harassment or abuse occur in the family context, so it is essential to implement in Colombia an effective sexual and reproductive reproduction policy that provides tools for children and adolescents, and their families to protect themselves from abuse and make better decisions for their physical well-being and psychological”, said Luz Karime Abadía, co-director of the Laboratory of Economics of Education of the Javeriana University.

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