THRISSUR: When child sexual abuse cases reported at Child Line Thrissur for the year April 2014 to March 2015 is 27, however when it comes to April 2015 to July 2015, only four months’ time, the number seems to be on the run. 13 case have been reported yet.
“When 13 cases have been reported till now, we fear that the coming fiscal year April 2015 to March 2016 would see more numbers comparing to the last year”, said Jino Devassy Center coordinator Child Line Thrissur. Also, the cases which go unreported at Child Line are numerous.
The statistics shows that the children under the age group 6 -10 are more exposed to abuse. Six boys and 7 girls are reported to have experienced sexual abuse in this age group, in the year April 2014 to March 2015. Also, in these cases, the accused are learn to be mostly from neighbor houses.
Meanwhile Jino points out the new trend in the cases reported at Child Line since a few years. “More number of homosexual abuses have started reporting where male children are seriously exploited”, says Jino. Children are lured to unnatural sex by exposing the children to porn contents. “ These children are sometimes forcefully abused at clubs, grounds”, says Jino.
On the other hand, speaking to Child Welfare committee chairman Thrissur PO George, it is normal of cases reporting directly at the committee but the alarming fact is 20 percentage of the cases are not reported to the authority. When the accused turns out to be from the family, victims are hushed up, opines Goerge.
However, the introduction of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences act (POCSO) in 2012 has come to the help of the students. The act pushes for a six month imprisonment and fine whoever failed to have proved to report a child abuse case within 24 hours’ time.
