Most cases were perpetrated by relatives. [Photo/americanspcc.org]
More than 300 children were abused in the last three months of 2017, a new report has revealed.According to a report by Childline Kenya, a local children rights organisation, most of the kids were molested sexually signaling that country needs to invest more efforts in fighting the crime.The report released on Monday in Nairobi also said most molestation cases that involved 391 children happened in the counties of Nairobi, Kiambu, Nyeri, Mombasa, Kakamega, Kisumu and Nakuru.Childline Kenya has been running a 24-hour National Child Helpline 116, that allows Kenyans to report child abuse since 2006 and has reported positive results in the fight against child abuse.The report said immediate family members were the greatest culprits of child neglect and physical abuse. Neighbours came in second at 63 cases, with most of them falling under sexual abuse at 33 cases.According to the organisation's senior team leader Martha Sunda and legal officer Joy Kitunge, December reported the highest number at 164 cases, followed by October and November at 135 and 92 respectively.Childline Kenya works in partnership with other child protection actors including State and non-State agencies.Between October and December, 972 referrals were made to the government agencies and 27 cases to non-state agencies.