Trafficked and Rescued!

Trafficked Child Rescued from Railway Station

Women and Child Help Center, the outreach center of Don Bosco Nivas Shelter Home at Trivandrum Central Railway Station rescued a trafficked child found on the railway platform on July 10, 2014. Our outreach staff Mrs. Amala found a 3 year old child begging on the platform. The child led our staff to her mother.  The baby was wearing shabby clothes and seemed not to have eaten for long. Mrs. Amala brought the child and the lady to Don Bosco Nivas.  From the interaction with the lady (Chettiamma) we were unable to ascertain whether the child was hers. As trafficking for begging was a possibility we asked her to produce documents and provided shelter for the child at Child Welfare Council. She gave the name of the child as Puteli.

Today (14 July, 2014) Police from Thiruvalla came to our office to enquire about the child.  They told that on January 2014 Mr. Siva filed a missing complaint of his daughter Vaigeswary. Vaigeswary is the second child of Siva and Rajeswary. Siva native of Andhra Pradesh has been living at Thiruvalla for the past few years and working as a cobbler. Chettiamma and her husband Raju had casual conversation with the family on the day the child was found missing. The police traced Raju in Andhra Pradesh and apprehended him and his wife. The police have registered case against the couple for child trafficking. 

This incident shows that there are children being trafficked and used for begging and many other abusive purposes. The rescue booth at the railway station has proved vital in saving Vaigeswary who would otherwise have been subject to cruelty and denied childhood and would have lost her family forever.  The rescue booth at the railway station rescues an average of 250 children every year and they are linked back to the safety of their homes. Many a missing children have been restored to their families