Dulce Maria Soares ,the Vice Minister of Education, said the Ministry had produced a decree law to prosecute teachers and University lecturers sexually harassing students.

Soares said sexual harassment was occurring across the country and victims needed protection and support to report the crime to police. 

The decree law also calls for human resources to made available in public schools for students to report sexual harassment.

“We have just one sub inspector at the national level together with employees of the Ministry of Education so it is very difficult to monitor all schools in all territories of Timor-Leste,’’ said Soares.