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local expert on sexual abuses targeting children and minors has warned the Balinese people to be more vigilant against the rising threat of paedophilia on the resort island.

"The practice of paedophilia has existed on this island for a long time. Unfortunately, a large number of people are not aware of these practices," Luh Ketut Suryani told the press on the sidelines of the launching of her book, Pedofil, Penghancur Masa Depan Anak (Paedophilia, Destroyer of Children's Futures), in Denpasar on Wednesday.

"In several cases, even the victims of these shameful and intolerable acts are not aware that they have been victimized," she added.

Suryani, a professor of psychiatry at Udayana University, is the president of CASA (Committee Against Sexual Abuse), a local NGO that focuses on fighting paedophiles and assisting the victims.

"Such a low level of awareness has made it possible for international paedophile networks to operate on the island without facing any major hindrance," she stressed.

CASA has estimated that as many as 3,000 children have fallen prey to paedophiles in Bali.

The majority of the victims are children under 13 years of age while most of the perpetrators are foreign adult men.

Paedophiles, Suryani said, are known to target children working as street vendors in tourist areas, such as Kuta in Denpasar and Lovina in Buleleng.

"In Kuta, there are children who sell souvenirs during the day and are hired by adult males during the night," she said.

Public awareness is a critical factor in fighting paedophilia, particularly since the majority of the paedophiles are intelligent individuals with strong financial resources.

"The paedophiles have the ability to manipulate not only their victims but also the families of the victims. At a glance, they look like a group of decent people who truly care about the plight of the local children," she added.

The low level of public awareness is reflected in the number of paedophilia cases reported to CASA by the public.

Since its establishment in 2002, CASA has handled a total of 80 cases, out of which only 30 have been fully resolved.

"In 1996, as many as 160 children were sent abroad. We suspect that these children have fallen prey to paedophiles," Cokorda Bagus Jaya Lesmana, the book's co-author, said.

"As yet the cases have never been solved and the whereabouts of the children are still unknown," he added.

The 58-page book was co-published by CASA, Terre des Hommes and Yayasan Obor.

"The publication of the book is part of our campaign to increase public awareness of paedophilia," Suryani said.