Child abuse statistics dropping but experts fear many cases not reported

Statistics suggest that the number of abused children in the Czech Republic is going down but experts fear the figures do not reflect the true state of affairs. According to statistics the number of abused children in 2005 was 1983 while last year it 1593. Close to 600 of them were sexually abused, the rest suffered physical or psychological abuse. Zuzana Baudysova, head of the Our Child Foundation, says she fears many cases of abused children are never reported. The foundation runs a help-line for abused children and has been lobbying for better legal protection of children in the Czech Republic.