Following a direction from the Child Welfare Committee, workers of Childline, a 24-hour helpline for children in distress, on Friday, visited the elder brother of a six-year-old girl, who died after alleged physical torture by her father and stepmother.
The visit was mainly to check the emotional status of the nine-year-old boy who is staying with his father’s relatives at Thiruvambadi after the death of his younger sister and the subsequent arrest of his parents in connection with the incident.
T. Subeesh, coordinator of Childline India Foundation in Kozhikode, said the boy would be able to overcome the trauma in due course. “We will provide the service of professional counsellors, if he needs it,” he added.
The Childline representatives also confirmed that the boy had no external injuries or visible signs of corporal punishment by parents. They said the boy did not raise any complaint against his father or stepmother who were arrested and remanded in judicial custody following the incident on Tuesday.
The report regarding the visit would be handed over to the Child Welfare Committee in its next sitting. As the child did not object to staying with the relatives, he would not be shifted. Sreela Menon, member of the Child Welfare Committee, said a report had been sought from the police. “The report will be discussed in the next sitting of the committee here on Tuesday,” she added.
