KOCHI: The psychological analysis report of the survivor in the Palathayi child abuse case has triggered a debate, with child psychology experts expressing scepticism regarding the approach adopted in the investigation. Many psychologists find it hard to digest that mental health professionals reached such a conclusion with regard to a child who was abused by her own schoolteacher.
The analysis report submitted by counsellors in the High Court states that the child has “fantasising” behaviour and is in the habit of telling lies. The Crime Branch (CB) made the submission in response to a petition filed by the victim’s mother, seeking to set aside the bail granted to the accused. The survivor, a child studying in Class IV, was sexually abused in January this year. The accused, a schoolteacher, is also a local BJP member.
Meanwhile, a child psychologist based in Thodupuzha said that children’s inability to maintain onsistency in event narration was hardly unusual. “It is not necessary that they respond with consistency to leading questions. But it won’t change the horrible fact that the child was sexually abused. This report from the counsellors is hard to digest,” he said, on condition of anonymity. However, UDF convenor Benny Behanan, MP, on Saturday came out heavily against the probe team and the analysis report. “The police are protecting the accused. The child was denied justice from the beginning,” said Behanan.
“There are three types of lying: innocent, fantasy, and deliberate lying. We have come across all these types among children. When kids tend to portray incidents unrealistically, it is called fantasy lying. This is particularly observed in kids overexposed to cartoons or movies. In cases of sexual abuse too, the kids’ description of the event may sound unrealistic,” said Dr Arun B Nair, psychiatrist, GMCH, Thiruvananthapuram. “However, in such cases, the benefit of doubt is usually given to the victim,” he added.
The case against the accused was registered on March 17, following which he was arrested in April. The CB had filed a final report, avoiding offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, which caused a furore among the public.
The CB report also stated that the Director-General of Prosecution had given the opinion that there was no legal bar here for offences other than those under the purview of the Pocso Act. The person in question had been accused in several cases previously, and other students were aware of the goings-on. An 11-member Special Investigating Team is investigating the case at present.