The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Increase in help calls Law & order

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Saturday, Mar 22, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Increase in help calls Law & order

Child Line has received 27 calls in the last 11 months, says R. Rajaram

A minor girl, in a disturbed mental state and torn clothes, was rescued by the police from a bushy area near the Goods Shed Road in Tiruchi recently. Investigations revealed that the minor, hailing from Pudukottai district, had been subjected to sexual and emotional abuse by some persons. The girl had already lost her father and her mother is a mentally challenged person. With her relatives disowning her, she was handed over to the Child Line and later sent to a home run by a voluntary organisation near Manapparai.

A few months before this incident, the Child Line had come across another case where a girl allegedly attempted to end her life in the Uyyakondan channel unable to bear the sufferings she underwent in the house where she worked as a maid servant. The 12-year-old girl, whose parents were settled in Bangalore, was reportedly subjected to physical abuse. She left her owner’s house and was found near the channel by a self-help group leader, who rescued and handed over the girl to the Child Line. The girl was handed over to her parents, who were daily wage earners in Bangalore after being counselled. The two cases were among many such calls, which the Child Line had received over the years seeking their assistance to help children who have been subjected to sexual, physical or emotional abuse.

During the past 11 months alone, the Child Line had received 27 such help calls to rescue children who were reportedly abused in one form or the other.

“A majority of the child abuse cases that come to our notice happen to be girls,” says A. Manoharan Irudayaraj, coordinator, Child Line, Tiruchi.

Thanks to increasing awareness about Child Line and its activities, calls seeking help to rescue children being subjected to abuse were increasing . Over the past five years, the Child Line had received over 200 help calls seeking their intervention to rescue children who have been abused in one form or other. The Child Line has been carrying out awareness programmes regularly among school students sensitising them about our activities, child rights, abuse and about “good and bad touches”, says Mr. Manoharan. Through a programme organised exclusively for the city police personnel a few days ago, the Child Line sought to sensitise the law enforcers on child rights, trafficking, the functions of the child line and the ways to deal with children in distress, says J. Ravikumar, city coordinator, Child Line.

So the next time you come across a child in distress, dial 1098.

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