A total of 414 complaints related to the sexual abuse of children have been lodged with the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) during the first nine months of this year.

The NCPA reported that 192 of these complaints were linked to serious sexual exploitation. From 1 January to 30 September, the authority received 7,677 complaints in total.

Of these, 6,296 complaints fall under the Child Protection Authority Act, while 1,381 complaints do not, according to NCPA data. The highest number of complaints was recorded in September, with 1,176 cases.

Among the complaints under the Act, 49 related to sexual harassment of women, 111 to child labour, and 203 to abduction.

Meanwhile, among complaints not covered by the Act, 62 were related to teenage pregnancies, 102 to cyber violence against children, 38 to domestic violence, 13 to suicide attempts, and one to kidnapping, the NCPA stated.