Kerala: New body to deal with child abuses

KOZHIKODE: A  child rescue force has been set up under the district child protection unit to check  trafficking, labour, beggary and abuse cases of children. The project launched in  Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Kollam districts  will  be expanded to other districts in the next phase. The  force consisting   of six rescue officers in each district will  trace,  rescue  and rehabilitate the children.   This is on the lines of   ‘Operation Sharanabalyam’ programme which helped  curb  child labour during Sabarimala pilgrimage. 

“The child rescue force will coordinate with the child help desk of the child welfare committee (CWC). The rescue officers will function on shift basis round the clock. The inspection to trace out children will be carried out three days in a week,” said  A.O.  Abeen,  state nodal officer of the Saranabalyam project. The rescued children should be brought before the CWC and sheltered at observation homes before sending them with the parents.

In case of children from other states, the rescue officers should contact the CWC in the home district of the child and facilitate  repatriation.  Sabarimala pilgrimage has witnessed children largely being employed in shops at Laaha, Pampa, Kanamala, Nilakkal and  Chengannur.  As many as 12 such children were rescued from Sabarimala last year. “These children, girls and boys,  were sheltered in pathetic conditions making  them vulnerable to sexual abuse,” said  Abeen. 

Child labour racket thrives  during    Oachira temple festival also. “This year, six children were rescued from child labour and beggary. All of them are natives,” said  Siju Ben,  district child protection officer of Kollam.   Since 2015, 35 children had been rescued from Oachira alone, a majority of them from outside Kerala. The child rescue officers have  already been appointed in the four districts.