A/HRC/45/55 policy appear to be having a deterrent effect. According to the information provided, in 2019, 41 allegations of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse were made. A total of 14 cases reportedly took place in 2019, while 26 took place in previous years and 1 took place on an unknown date. Most of these cases concern events that took place in 2018 or before. In 2020, 12 allegations of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse by or against MINUSCA personnel were recorded. However, the Independent Expert regrets that the investigations conducted in this connection are rarely made public and seldom lead to convictions. He encourages the United Nations to continue its efforts on these issues and the States concerned to investigate allegations and ensure that the rights and needs of victims are placed at the centre of every investigation. Since most victims come from very low-income backgrounds, they should be provided with financial support and psychotherapy to enable them to participate effectively in investigations, travel to interview locations and be assisted by translators and lawyers from the outset of their interactions with investigators before and during the proceedings. E. Women’s rights 53. In February 2020, the Independent Expert met with the Minister for the Advancement of Women, the Family and the Protection of Children and was able to assess the Government’s efforts to provide the Ministry with a strategic and operational framework. However, the Independent Expert is of the opinion that, in view of the challenges facing the Ministry, it does not possess sufficient resources to carry out its mandate. 54. The Independent Expert also met with women’s groups in Bangui. The discussions centred on issues linked to women’s political participation and empowerment. They shared their concerns about the failure of the signatories to the Peace Agreement, especially the armed groups, to honour their commitments. Women’s groups had helped to raise public awareness of the Peace Agreement. They denounced the continued violations and abuses of human rights in the country. In addition, they requested that greater consideration be given to their role in the activities related to the ongoing peace process and that Act No. 16004 of 24 November 2016 introducing gender parity in the Central African Republic, including equal access for men and women to elected office, be respected. 55. The Independent Expert visited Bimbo women’s prison, where he met with prison staff, MINUSCA soldiers and technical officers and female prisoners. Hygiene conditions there are satisfactory; there is access to drinking water, basic medication and vocational training activities for female prisoners mainly thanks to significant investment by MINUSCA and civil society organizations. Most of those women are being held in pretrial detention and do not receive the legal and judicial assistance necessary to ensure that they have a fair trial within a reasonable period of time. 56. Several women imprisoned in Bimbo prison have been charged with charlatanism and witchcraft9 under Act No. 10001 of 6 January 2010 on the Central African Criminal Code. However, neither the country’s legislators nor its case law defines these offences or set out their constituent elements. This lacuna leaves judges powerless when faced with the requirement of objective, tangible and corroborating evidence to substantiate or refute allegations of witchcraft and charlatanism. F. Situation of children and young people 57. Children continue to experience a lack of adequate protection because of, inter alia, family separation, conscription, enlistment and use by armed groups, sexual violence, exploitation and other harmful practices such as child trafficking, accusations of witchcraft, female genital mutilation and early marriage. The Human Rights Division of MINUSCA reports that, in 2019, 208 children were recruited by armed groups, compared to 75 in 2018, 9 10 CCPR/C/CAF/CO/3, para. 19. GE.20-10998