One child sexually abused per hour, justice an endless wait: Data

Pune: In Maharashtra, one child is sexually abused every hour, according to the 2023 crime data in the state. This is just the reported numbers. Then begin marches, protests and ministerial statements advocating fast track court and death penalty which the public steeped in fury also demands. Unfortunately, the noise fades quickly, people forget and what remains are survivors — left in a silent suffering that refuses to end, said activists.The recent rape and murder of a three-year-old girl near Nasrapur in Bhor taluka on Friday saw the entire state erupt in anger, yet again. One more victim was added to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act cases.In 2023, according to the Crime in Maharashtra numbers, total survivors under the Pocso Act that year were 8,761 (8,519 girls and 242 boys). Child rights activist Anuradha Sahasrabudhe, who for years ran Childline — a helpline for children in Pune, said that unlike what is mandated, the trials drag on. Each court date forces the survivor and their family to relive the trauma. It reopens wounds that caregivers had painstakingly helped to heal.She and other other activists said most cases are not reported since the accused is almost always someone known to the child. Many survivors are frequently too young to understand what has happened to them. Even if they come forward and complain, the children are unable to express themselves. The real trauma comes when the trial begins after multiple sittings with the child and the parents.Sahasrabudhe said, "Police are insensitive during documentation. There are gaps in investigation and the side of the accused, the defendant, tries to stretch the proceedings to tire out the children's family. Many give up to protect their child from going through the nightmare every time the hearing happens and the advocate has to prepare them. Survivors forget the statements as they grow up and the defence finds loopholes in the system."In the Nasrapur case, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and others have spoken about a fast track court and special public prosecutor, but activists said such action is difficult — at least for cases that do not have media support.Child rights activist Yamini Abde said she was yet to see a case finish within a year. "I am up for hearing in a case which occurred nine years ago. The situation is pathetic, because such cases drag on without any outcome. In the rare case where a lower court gives a conviction, there are still high courts and the Supreme Court to approach. A date in the SC is extremely hard to come by. In the meantime, children begin to forget. Girls grow up, get married and the husband or his family most probably don't know that the girl was once sexually abused. In such cases, the girl's family refuses to be present in the court as witness. Fast track courts are on paper, just like the law. Where is the justice?" she said.Abde said the Nasrapur incident has received media coverage so there could be an outcome, but most cases end even before they start. "In maximum incidents, the accused is known to the children. The first barrier then is the family itself in registering the case. They try to hide the crime. Even if someone dares to go to the police station, officers are most often insensitive and try everything to not register the case. There are special operating procedures that every police station should have an officer to look after such cases. However, I am still to find an exclusive officer for sexual abuse cases, because everyone is busy with bandobust duty or something similar."She further said, "The kind of insensitive questioning that happens with children makes your skin crawl. The public prosecutor hardly says a word in the court in most cases, while defence lawyers rip apart the loopholes in the chargesheet — which is anyway poorly structured. The hearings keep getting postponed. Finally, the family either gives up or the accused is acquitted." Abde painted a grim picture of the lived reality of many survivors and the people who hand hold them. She said the wait for justice was endless.