Samoa

Facts

In 2014, 225 cases of sexual offences against children were reported to the relevant authorities in Samoa. Street children, children forced to beg and/or involved in street vending are especially vulnerable: 3.7% of street children aged 15-17 years were considered to be at risk of sexual exploitation in 2017.

Children in Samoa are also victims of trafficking for sexual purposes. However, the current national legislation does not specifically criminalise the sale of children, nor trafficking of children for sexual purposes.

1% of children in Samoa were married by 15 between 2008-2014.

Sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism is also a “widespread and serious” phenomenon in Samoa.

Samoa ratified the three optional protocols to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 2016, i.e. the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure.

The Child Protection Unit of the Samoan Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development conducts Prevention of Sexual Violence Awareness programs for children. Between July and December 2015, 1729 children participated in these programmes.