The Ministry of Defence is now collaboratng with the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) to implement tougher laws against #childabuse.

Defence Ministry Secretary Major General (Rtd.) Kamal Gunaratne said existing laws were soft and ineffective and penalties must be revised.

A meeting was held yesterday to establish a Technical Committee to implement a 5-year ‘Child Protection Policy-2019’ plan, as mandated in President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's election manifesto ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’.

The National Implementation Plan on Child Protection is to be enforced by a National Implementation Committee—stakeholders include Defence, Education, Health, Justice, Social Welfare, Labour, Tourism & Media ministries.

This comes in the wake of the sudden surge in child abuses cases in the country.