More than 1,000 teachers have been fired for sexually abusing girls in recent years, according to a new report from the Kenyan government

In 2009, 600 teachers were dismissed over allegations of sexual abuse, and 500 more have been let go in 2010. The allegations range from inappropriate kissing and touching to impregnating girls as young as 12. The firings underscore a serious epidemic of sexual abuse in Kenya. The government report states that the highest number of abusers were fathers, followed closely by neighbors and teachers. In one elementary school in western Kenya a teacher had impregnated at least 10 girls. Technically, it is against Kenyan law for an adult to have sex with a minor under the age of 18, but the law is hard to enforce, particularly in rural areas. The victim's family has to press charges and become heavily involved in the investigation, so most accused sexual abusers escape prosecution. In the case of teachers, the accused and school officials often pay off the the girl's family, who are often poor, to keep the family from prosecuting. Education for girls, particularly in rural areas of Kenya, still remains a struggle. Once they reach their preteen years, girls are kept at home to help their mothers care for younger siblings, carry water and maintain the household. In some communities, tradition still dictates that teenage girls can be married off by their parents. A girl attending school who's from a poor, uneducated family is especially vulnerable to abuse.