Dear Editor,
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act of 2012 has guidelines to deal with each case. But a lot of cases are settled quietly and that is extremely dangerous. Children either don’t report the cases, or the cases are hushed up even if they do report them. The police should not be the only agency that deals with children who have been abused. There should be a team of specialised child psychiatrists and other child care professionals who can ensure continued support to the child. When a case of child abuse is reported, hardly any support is offered to the child and the family to get their lives back on track. When children take the extremely difficult step of reporting abuse we need to ensure they are properly supported and get the help they need when they are brave enough to give evidence in court.The urgent need of the hour is enactment of laws providing for stringent punishment for the perpetrators of crime against children, and their implementation.
Don’t we think everyone should break our silence to save the innocence of children ?
Yours,
Vinod C. Dixit
Ahmedabad