A/HRC/42/60/Add.1 32. Child marriage remains a matter of concern, having a multifaceted and profound impact on children’s lives, affecting their health, education, psychological development, social life, relationships and increased risk to future adversities. 52 33. Sexual violence against children, as well as women, often is not prosecuted; 53 many child victims continue to live with or near the perpetrators. The Special Rapporteur remains concerned that the justice system is not appropriately child-centred with child witnesses retraumatised and not taken seriously. There is a need for more awareness raising and full child sensitivity training of law enforcement and court officials as well as local level (e.g. commune or district) officials to ensure child victims and witnesses are dealt with in a protective, rights-responsive manner. In August 2019, the Ministry of Interior informed the Special Rapporteur that protecting child witnesses was a priority with the Royal Government introducing capacity-building for law enforcement officials and child-friendly court procedures. Healthcare professionals and teachers at the local level should also be trained in dealing with child abuse – these are often the only point of contact for an abused child. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs has highlighted the progress being made in establishing policies, laws and mechanisms to respond to gender-based violence. 34. Whilst the relevant targets in SDG16 are excluded from the CSDGs, CSDG 5.2 targets the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls in public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation. This has two indicators, one on physical sexual violence by a current or former intimate partner, the other with violence by non-partners. In both instances, children are only counted over the age of fifteen, although the government has indicated that there is sexual violence against younger girls. The Government has acknowledged a commitment to strengthening dissemination of the Law on Domestic Violence and Protection of Victims 54 which as noted55 is often misapplied with mediation and similar being used to settle domestic disputes and women and children all too often returning to live with the alleged perpetrator. The reasons for this failure are many: corruption, discriminatory attitudes towards women and girls, misinterpretation of the law, and lack of resources all combine to perpetuate and entrench a system in which impunity prevails. More must be done to review and implement the law on domestic violence and to ensure all personnel are trained to sensitively handle violence against children. B. Persons with Disabilities 35. Samdech Techo Prime Minister has frequently spoken of his support for the rights of persons with disabilities. Certainly the Government has ratified the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities although its first national report, due January 2015, remains under preparation by the cross ministerial Disability Action Council. Nevertheless, Cambodia adopted a National Disability Strategic Action Plan and the Special Rapporteur has learned of progress made from various ministries particularly the Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, the Minister of Health and the Minister of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation. 36. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires states party to embed a human rights based approach to disability, not a medical model. Accordingly the emphasis is on ensuring that all persons with disabilities are respected as autonomous members of society and a vital component of human diversity. They should not be stigmatised, isolated or segregated. The Special Rapporteur noted in 2017 that many public statements on inclusivity made by government ministers, including the Prime Minister, are 52 53 54 55 JS5= Joint-Submission by CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC), IFEX, and Solidarity Center, available from https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/UPRKHStakeholdersInfoS32.aspx para. 10. LICADHO, Getting Away with It: The Treatment of Rape in Cambodia’s Justice System, available http://www.licadho-cambodia.org/reports/files/210LICADHOReportGettingAwayWithRape2015English.pdf at p29. National Strategic Development Plan 2014-2018 p107. A/HRC/33/62, paras 24-25. 11