Asylum for the Abused

A 10^th Standard Student studying in a neighbouring School contacted us through one of her teachers about her father and Aunt planning to marry her off immediately against her will. The teacher directed her to the CHILDLINE office for further follow up and refuge for the girl. She did not want to go back home. Our team immediately contacted her father and asked him to come over. The father of the girl and her aunt came over to Don Bosco and after long talk with them we came to know that there was lot of inconsistency in the accounts of the father and aunt with that of the girl. After producing her before the CWC, she was further counseled and she revealed that a person named Shaji together with another man and a woman had abducted her in a car while walking on the road. She was taken to a lonely place and where she was sexually abused and the act was videoed by the woman.

The police was contacted immediately and they took the statement of the girl and filed an FIR. The girl was sent for medical examination and she was found to be abused sexually and physically. We intervened with the top police officials against the accused persons. The Police instantly started a probe into the matter. The girl was given shelter at Nirbhaya Shelter home. She was counseled to overcome the trauma and all arrangements were done to make her write her matriculation examinations which were due immediately. Now she is happy to have overcome the ordeal and wants to stay on in the shelter home.

The state of Kerala is witnessing an alarming rise in sexual crimes against children, and in 2012, 455 children were raped in the state, according to the State Crime Records Bureau. Ninety five per cent abusers are the dear and near ones of children; their parents, siblings, uncles and teachers, says a study by Sarva Sikha Abhiyan and Mahila Samakhya Society. Trivandrum CHILDLINE itself has dealt with more than 15 cases of child sexual abuses in the past year.

The children who face such abuse are helpless and develop serious issues regarding interpersonal relationship as people in trust themselves are the perpetrators. They can develop into anti-socials and abusers unless proper care and counseling is not made available to them. Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a life time.

Stringent measures to implement the laws and fast track courts to deal with cases awarding tough punishments, awareness to children from family and schools to thwart advances, vigilant dealings from School teachers and mothers of the family towards the children are only some of the measures that can be taken to overcome this menace.