KOCHI: The heart-wrenching report of a three-year-old who succumbed to the brain injuries inflicted by his own mother at Aluva has put the spotlight back on a topic that has been dominating the news for the past few weeks -- children's safety in their own homes.
If the recent Thodupuzha child murder case, wherein a seven-year-old child was murdered by his mother's friend, came as a shock to our conscience, this incident only reaffirms the fact that the issue of children's safety and rights have to be taken up seriously.
What makes the home of a child an unsafe place for him? Sandhya Rani, a lawyer who specialises in women's and children's issues, says drug usage and the consequent depletion of moral values has played a huge role in many such incidents. "I have seen numerous cases and have come to realise that increasing drug use has serious repercussions on children's safety. When drug usage increases, moral values plummet. Someone who uses drugs regularly has little connection with reality," says Sandhya.
She also attributes these crimes, involving migrant labourers, like the one at Aluva, to a general lack of education and exposure. "The majority of the crimes involving migrant labourers from the poverty-stricken areas of our country happen due to a lack of awareness and education. They just don't realise the gravity of the situation," says Sandhya, who is the special prosecutor at the Additional District and Sessions Court for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POSCO) cases.
Strict monitoring the need of the hour
But, how can the situation be rectified? Meena Kuruvilla, activist and a former member of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, thinks this needs to happen at the grassroots level. "If you look at the recent cases, it is evident that all these kids were vulnerable. That's where the role of teachers and residents associations become vital. Unless we set up a monitoring committee where responsible people visit homes and ensure things are alright, such incidents will continue. We can use the services of Kudumbashree for such activities. Teachers too have an equally important role to play. If a child is irregular in class or shows visible signs of broodiness and depression, the matter has to be taken up. They should also train these children to speak out. The courage should be instilled to protest against the atrocities," says Meena.
She adds as a collective society, each one has a role to play in this. "If you see a child being harassed at your neighbourhood, don't leave it as a domestic issue. Only if people do that will crimes against children see a decrease," said Meena.
Crime against children on the Rise
The figures provided by the Kerala Police are baffling too. While the crimes against children have shown a steep rise every year - 4,008 cases in 2018 as opposed to 3,548 cases in 2017 - sources say the real figures can be even more higher, considering that many such crimes go unreported. While rape and kidnapping top the chart, the number of murder cases is equally shocking with as many as 22 being reported in 2018.