Kerala: Project Thanal receives over 24,000 child abuse cases in 2 years

KOCHI: As many as 24,562 cases of

child abuse

including over 13,000 cases of children abused at homes were recorded by Kerala State Council for Child Welfare’s (KSCCW) project

Thanal

at its helpline in the last two years. Apart from its immediate intervention in rescue of the affected children, the council has submitted a report to the state chief minister for a legal framework on the extent of cyber activities that parents could permit their children.


“In most child abuse cases reported, a major villain is the role of drugs, intoxicants and cyber misuse involving mobile and internet usage particularly sharing of obscene porn videos by the parents and children among their peer group. We have given a report to the chief minister seeking a legal framework that sets the extent of cyber activities that children could be permitted. In case of cyber or mobile misuse involving children, the legal framework calls for punitive action against the parents or guardian, because the children mostly adolescents fall into the trap unaware and believe that to be the normal world,” KSCCW general secretary Deepak S P told TOI.

After this upcoming election, it is expected that the state will introduce a legal framework on extent of cyber activities permitted for children as the High Court too has taken cognisance of that, he said.

Of the 24,562 child abuse cases received till last week by KSCCW’s project Thanal at its toll free helpline 1517 since its inception on November 30, 2017, over 13,000 cases received are children abused at homes either beaten up, battered or sexually abused.

Citing instances, he said, a three-year-old boy succumbed at a private hospital in

Aluva

on Friday after his mother, a native of

Jharkhand

allegedly thrashed him. On April 6, a seven-year-old boy died at a hospital after he was brutally assaulted by his step-father. In such cases, it reveals lack of public conscience in not reporting promptly even when aware of abuse of children in homes by parents, step-father, step-mother or others in the neighbourhood, he said.

The remaining over 11,500 child abuse cases reported outside the homes are cases in which children had fallen into the trap of drug abuse, intoxicants and cyber misuse involving mobile and internet usage, he said. In all cases reported, the Council with the support of district wise support of staff and volunteers of Thanal project, had intervened by offering counselling, free legal aid, seeking police action for rescue and rehabilitation in shelter homes or children’s homes in the state.