Santo Domingo.- World Youngsters’s Day highlights the Dominican Republic’s pressing problem of addressing violence towards minors, an issue underscored by a collection of tragic circumstances reported all through 2025. Regardless of progress in areas comparable to breastfeeding, maternal care, and decreasing baby marriage, UNICEF warns that setbacks in violent self-discipline and baby safety demand speedy authorities motion.

In line with latest UNICEF knowledge, violent self-discipline towards kids aged 1 to 14 elevated from 62.9% to 63.5%, reflecting worsening circumstances inside houses. This yr has additionally seen a number of high-profile circumstances of utmost violence, together with kidnappings, abuse, and homicides involving kids as younger as one yr previous throughout provinces comparable to Santo Domingo, La Romana, and Dajabón.

UNICEF stresses that these incidents signify not remoted occasions, however signs of systemic failures in prevention, safety, and household assist.