Deputy of Welfare Organization: Education Against Child Abuse Must Be Prioritized in Schools

The Deputy of the Social Welfare Organization of Iran states that to prevent child abuse in the country, related education must be prioritized in schools. This official's latest remarks come amid rising protests and criticisms regarding 'sexual assaults' in Iran. Habibollah Masoudi Farid, the Deputy for Social Affairs of the Welfare Organization, told ISNA news agency, 'We believe that to prevent such incidents (child abuse), children must be provided with the necessary education to avoid sexual abuse. Furthermore, the provision of this education must definitely be prioritized in schools.' Mr. Masoudi Farid also reminded that failing to report sexual assaults against children is a crime and subject to legal prosecution. This reference by the Welfare Organization official pertains to a law passed by the Iranian parliament, which states that child abuse does not require a private complainant, and failing to report it to relevant authorities, such as the police or social emergency services, is considered a crime. However, the Deputy for Social Affairs of the Welfare Organization emphasized that issues related to sexual abuse and assaults on children and adolescents have not found a place in the educational system of schools and that there should be 'much stricter supervision' over schools and kindergartens. These statements come at a time when, in recent weeks, following reports related to the 'sexual abuse' case at Mo'in High School in Tehran and other similar reports, protests and criticisms regarding the approach to these incidents and preventing such occurrences have intensified. Last week, it was reported that one of the officials of a boys' non-profit educational institution in Tehran was arrested following the 'sexual abuse' of a group of students. It is said that this case has 'dozens of complainants.' Some parents of the students have stated that the school principal was also aware of the situation and delayed in preventing it. The principal has currently been suspended from his position, and no report has been published regarding whether any charges or indictments have been issued against him. The suspect in the sexual assault on the students of Mo'in High School has denied the allegations of 'rape' but admitted to having 'committed inappropriate acts.' The Mo'in High School case, along with other similar reports in recent months and years, has become a hot topic on social media. Some users have expressed concern about the existence of similar hidden cases, some have called for specific education to be provided, and others have criticized the selective reporting of news related to sexual abuse and assaults in Iranian media. A group of users has criticized government officials' statements regarding citizens reporting sexual assaults and abuses, saying this is 'deflection' or 'populism' and that the government must take specific action in this regard. Some users have also criticized the 'politicization' of the issue, with some stating that decades after criticizing the West, the officials of the Islamic Republic still do not intend to pay attention to internal issues and problems. A group of social media users has also strongly criticized the 'mockery' of sexual assaults and abuses.