Many adults are guilty of child abuse and some narrowly escape being charged with serious offences.

There are adults who beat children mercilessly, some hit them with all types of objects, and there are some who will burn or throw hot substances on the children.

The courts have several cases in which some parents are charged in connection with cruelty to children or abusing them.

A man who has a scar to his left hand said it was his father who threw boiling water on his hand. He said, because of the incident, his mother became upset and broke off the relationship with his father.

"I love my mother very much because she did not continue to live with my father so he could continue to abuse me.

"We were living in Manchester and, at the time, I was ten years old. My father sent me to the shop to buy cigarettes and I stopped for a while to play marbles with my friends. When I returned home, my father asked me why I stayed so long . A woman who was passing at the time told him she saw me playing marbles with my friends.

"When I went into the kitchen, my father took boiling water from a pot and poured it on my hand. My mother was not at home at the time, but when she came home and saw what my father did, she packed our clothes and left my father.

"Now that I am a policeman, I am terribly against people who abuse children and will not hesitate to arrest them and take them before the court.

The policeman said there were many cases of child abuse, but he was happy that those who were caught were being punished. He disclosed that whenever he gets the chance to speak at functions or to groups, he was always making it known that it was a very serious offence to abuse children and encouraging children to report cases of abuse.

The Child Care and Protection Act was passed to protect our children. The law states the penalties for those found guilty of child abuse. It also places an onus on those who witness child abuse to make reports to the Children's Registry. Reports can also be made to the police, health officials, guidance counsellors, school principals, teachers or other responsible professionals.

Section 6 (2) of the Act states that "a person who has information which causes that person to suspect that a child has been, is being or is likely to be, abandoned, neglected or, physically or sexually ill-treated; or is otherwise in need of care and protection, shall make a report to the Registry."