The Hindu : Action plan to be evolved to curb child abuse

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 14, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Action plan to be evolved to curb child abuse

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, FEB. 13. An action plan with a multidisciplinary approach to fight child abuse and child labour will be pilot-tested in nine cities. A protocol based on it will be forwarded to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, M.B. Raghu, head of the Paediatrics department, Sri Ramachandra Medical College (SRMC), said on Wednesday.

The plan itself would be chalked out of discussions with participants at a three-day national conference here on `child abuse for multidisciplinary professionals, organised by SRMC and the Indian Council for Child Welfare, Tamil Nadu. The plan would be implemented in Nagpur, Chennai, Delhi, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Kolkota and Guwahati, said Dr. Raghu.

A high percentage of upper and middle income group children were sexually abused, according to reports from non-governmental organisations. Most often, girls were sexually abused by family members or relatives and rarely by strangers.

'Education vital'

Inaugurating the conference, B. Subhashan Reddy, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, said effective implementation of Article 21(A) of the Constitution, which guarantees free and compulsory education to all children between six and 14 years, was vital for preventing child abuse and bringing down the incidence of child labour. ``If you get a child educated, most of the other evils (child abuse and child labour) can be prevented. Academic empowerment is essential.''

The Chief Justice said: ``There are enough `good' laws in the country to achieve the task and a legislative body that can make it possible; however, there is a lack of proper focus on these laws.'' The public should be educated on the available laws.

To create effective systems for dealing with child abuse cases, a uniform guideline governing identification, assessment, treatment and aftercare planning would be evolved, said Latha Ravichandran, associate professor of paediatrics at SRMC.

A nationally reliable and standardised data collection process was also being considered. A national forum for participants to share and exchange information was another objective of the conference, she said.

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