Al Noor orphanage issues scathing response to child abuse allegations

Al Noor Child and Youth Centre, an orphanage in Cape Town, has lambasted the provincial Department of Social Development for what it terms as the unlawful removal of at least 16 children from their care.

Why were children removed from Al Noor orphanage?

This comes after allegations of sexual and physical abuse were made against the centre. According to the department, certain caregivers have been reported for allegedly assaulting some of the children physically.

The department’s preliminary investigation into the complaints also shows that some children were allegedly abused sexually by the caregivers.

According to social development’s Esther Lewis, the affected children have been removed from the centre and the process to have the orphanage deregistered has commenced.

“The children have been placed at other child care and youth centres and are receiving the necessary social support, including assessment and counselling,” Lewis revealed.

Al Noor’s scathing response to child abuse allegations

However, all of these allegations have been vehemently rubbished by Al Noor. We reached out to the orphanage for comment and in response, they lay the blame entirely on the department.

“The Department of Social Development forcefully removed 16, not 17, of our children on allegations of abuse. The department has failed [dismally] to inform the children about the process [of] their removal, and they forced them to take all their belongings.

“That process was not child-friendly, [and] thus not in the interests of the children, thus violating the children and traumatizing them,” the orphanage noted in a fiery statement.

Al Noor criticised the department for acting on allegations that have not yet been tested.

The orphanage identified this as a form of an orchestrated attack on them by social development.

“The children are currently placed in juvenile delinquent centres, places that drug addicts, children at risk [and] who are dangerous, are placed. Our children are undoubtedly not in conducive placements, hereto putting their safety at risk,” the orphanage added.

Al Noor revealed that, on a yearly basis, the orphanage undergoes a stringent quality assurance and monitoring evaluation that assesses their capability to provide sustainable care to the displaced children.

It further noted that the most recent assessment was passed by the same department that has supposedly acted hastily in removing the children without following due process.

“We urge members of the public, our friends, donors and those with our children’s interest at heart to support and stand against this mischievous and ill-treatment of the children by the Department.

“We do not receive Government funding, and we operate as a self-sustainable project. It’s worthwhile to note that none of our kids have been tested for sexual or physical abuse as yet,” the orphanage stressed.