Sri Lanka, July 22 -- Cruelty has remained the most frequently reported form of child abuse to the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) over the past 15 years, according to official statistics released by the Department of Census and Statistics.

The data, covering the period from 2010 to 2024, shows that cruelty consistently recorded the highest number of complaints among all categories of child abuse.

Reported cases increased from 905 in 2010 to a peak of 2,741 in 2021 before declining to 1,950 in 2024.

Despite the recent drop, cruelty continued to account for the largest share of complaints received by the NCPA.

Statistics also reveal that non-compulsory education was the second most commonly reported issue, with cases rising...