CHENNAI: The awareness programmes being conducted by Child Line is helping children facing sexual abuse at homes gather strength and courage to speak up and report the matter. On Thursday, two cases of young girls allegedly being abused by their own fathers were reported, of which one happened through the programme. Sneha (name changed) was raped for nine years, and impregnated once, before she gathered the courage to report her father. The Guindy all-women police station on Wednesday arrested the parents of the 16-year-old. The girl, who is studying in Class-XI at a private school in the city, spoke about her trauma at an awareness programme on sexual abuse conducted by the Child Line.
“The 48-year-old man works as a car driver,” say the police. “His wife is a tailor and works from home. The couple have two children. The victim told us her father first raped her when she was seven. She immediately informed her mother, but she asked her not to talk about it to anyone.” The police claim the victim’s mother was aware of the sexual abuse. “But she was too scared to tell anyone as her husband used to abuse her as well. He had threatened her not to tell anybody,” the officer added. “The man had physically abused her apart from raping her with foreign objects.”
The abuse continued for nine years, till the girl became pregnant last year. “The mom provided her abortion pills,” claim the police. “Unable to take it any further, she spoke about it at the awareness programme.”
Child raped, says mother
In yet another incident, a single mother has claimed that her teenaged daughter was raped by her father. The girl was living with her mother. “He had come to visit his daughter on January 24, when she was alone at home,” say the police. “He allegedly sexually assaulted her. He also threatened her not to report the matter.” Based on the complaint filed by the mother, the Kilpauk all-women police station arrested the 41-year-old under POCSO Act.
Speaking about this disturbing trend Andrew Sesuraj, assistant professor at the Department of Social Work in Loyola College, says that as per the NCRB data, in almost all the sexual abuse cases against children, perpetrators are known or related to the victim’s family. “This only shows that we have to protect our children even from the known person,” says Sesuraj. “Despite having victim compensation funds and other monetary benefits given to the children there should be a system or structure which not only provides a financial support but also helps the child come out of the trauma. In such cases, the child remains silent thinking that speaking out may bring more danger.”