Saving Our Children

On the occasion of World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse, here's a peek at the rising crimes against children, and an attempt to see what more
the State can do in terms of ensuring the welfare, and future, of its youngsters

- S. PoorvajaRamya Kannan

Last week, a 16yearold tribal girl in Sitling, in the western district of Dharmapuri, was raped by two boys from the same village as she went out to the fields to answer nature’s call. Five days later, the young girl died in the government hospital in Dharmapuri. Both the victim and her parents had struggled to register a complaint, and by their account, had to run from pillar to post and pay a bribe for the police to do so. Several days later, a team of activists who went on a field visit to inquire into the case found personal effects of the girl at the same spot, exposed to the elements, unclaimed by the police, though it did seem to them that it would serve as crucial evidence.

The Dharmapuri case has emerged as a classic representation of the threats children in the State face and indicates a measure of the State’s initial response to such heinous crimes. Violence against children takes various forms – physical and mental torture, sexual abuse, neglect – and can be perpetrated by a wide range of people the child comes into contact with, including parents, teachers, caregivers, peers and strangers.

Ahead of the World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse (November 19), it behoves the State, especially one that has witnessed a series of gross assaults on children over the last year, to take stock of the safety mechanisms it has in place to ensure the protection of children against any kind of abuse. While the State is a signicant institution, the welfare of the children rests with other institutions — the family, society and schools — and spreading awareness among them is key.