A panel of experts on child welfare emphasised the importance of raising awareness about child sexual abuse, terming it a major concern. They also elaborated on the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders under the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Addressing a panel discussion jointly organised by the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP), Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society of Tiruchi (TRIOGS), Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Indian Council Against Child Neglect, Child Abuse and Child Labour (ICANCL) here on Sunday, P. Mohan, Chairperson of Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Tiruchi, said that a majority of the children are rescued from railway stations as trains are the most common modes of transportation for runaway children and child trafficking is carried out via trains. He also discussed the challenges in rescuing a child abuse victim in rural parts of the district.
According to CWC, around 1,300 child abuse cases were reported in Tiruchi district between January and September, and more than 15 POCSO cases were being reported per month,
Srividhya, Legal cum probation officer, District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), said that doctors have an important role in identifying child sexual abuse, providing first aid, managing medical issues, taking care of the child's mental health and providing long-term follow-up. She also emphasised the need for a victim of child abuse to receive immediate care and attention.
Ms. Srividhya discussed the procedures to be followed while assessing the child, engaging a support person, obtaining a social investigation report, using prosecution methods, compensating and rehabilitating victims, appointing a prosecutor, the role of the special court and monitoring mechanisms, among other things.
She also provided information on the programme that permits victims of child abuse to turn over their children to the authorities as well as on the practice of medically terminating pregnancies.
The panellists stressed the need of reporting abuse in any form without fear and hesitation. Despite awareness, child sexual abuse cases on many occasions go unreported due to various reasons including social stigma and parents' diffidence, they said.
The other panellists were Ajantha, member of the Juvenile Justice Board; Murali, nodal officer, Childline, and Prabhu, member of CWC. The discussion was moderated by A. Thangavel, member of ICANCL and assistant professor of paediatrics, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital, Tiruchi.
N. Raghavan, president of IAP, Tiruchi; Malathy G. Prasad, president of TRIOGS and R. Mohan, president of IMA, Tiruchi took part.
