With more than 200 cases of child abuse in The Bahamas reported for the year, the Ministry of Social Services, through the Child Protective Council (CPC), unveiled an initiative Tuesday aimed at raising awareness and eventually eradicating this social ill.

The CPC presented a panel board to Social Services Minister Melanie Griffin. It’s one of many that will be placed in key locations around New Providence highlighting child abuse.

“These panel boards will be a constant reminder that child abuse is an ever present reality and that all cases of suspected abuse must be reported to the police and social services,” Mrs. Griffin said.

The large panel board features pictures of children and the banner “Every Child Matters,” as well as the telephone number for the Child Abuse Hotline.

The boards were created by the CPC in partnership with its corporate sponsors – CIBC First Caribbean International Bank and Aitken Imaging Sign Shop.

The CPC was first created as the National Child Abuse Prevention Committee back in 1999.

The council is responsible for raising public awareness about child abuse, reaching out to victims of abuse and advising the government on legislation to protect children from abuse.

Pastor Gil Maycock, who has served as chair of the council since its inception, said even while incidents of child abuse are high, the council, has made significant inroads.

“It’s going to be a continued effort – we can’t stop; we have to continue to make sure that we are keeping it before the public.” he said. “We need teachers talking about it in the classrooms, pastors and Sunday school teachers need to be talking about it and people around the water cooler are talking about it so that the issue becomes so relevant in our society that people who are abusers become uncomfortable because they are seen as abnormal.”

Mrs. Griffin commended the council and its sponsors for working alongside the government to extend the reach of the fight against the social issues.

“We must never let up the fight,” Mrs. Griffin said. “We have to always know that there are some vulnerable children out there who are being abused and as much as we can encourage people to make the report and if we can reach out and pull at least one child out the depths of abuse – the fight is worth it.”

The ministry reminds that incidents of child abuse or suspected abuse can be reported through its national hotline at 322-2763 or 422-2763.