Protest to highlight child abuse in Colombia

Hundreds of stuffed animals, dolls and action figures were laid out in Bogota's iconic Bolivar Square on Monday to protest against violence against children and demand more funding for organizations that help kids who are growing up without their parents.

The protest was staged by the Colombian branch of SOS Children's Villages, an organization that focuses on helping children that have no parental care and has set up villages for orphans in more than 100 countries.

Angela Rosales, the director for SOS Children's villages in Colombia said that the toys had been put on the square to "represent the voice" of children who need help.  Rosales said that more than 30,000 children in Colombia are currently growing up in foster homes or in orphanages because they have lost their parents, or have been separated from their families due to domestic violence.

She called on the Colombian government to boost spending on programs that help children facing domestic violence and make reforms to the justice system that will lead to more convictions against child abusers.

According to the organization only 3% of child abuse cases in Colombia end up in convictions. Rosales said that Colombia spends more on average per prisoner, than on each child that has been put under state care.

The toys used for Monday's protests included teddy bears, dinosaurs and ballerina like dolls with signs placed next to them.  They were donated to SOS Children's Villages by supporters of the organization's work.