COIMBATORE: During the last month, two juveniles in conflict with the law were questioned in connection with a case by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) officials at their new office near the Town Hall Clock Tower in the city. At one point, the juveniles allegedly attempted to flee the premises, resulting in the CWC officials chasing and restraining the two. The only setback was that the incident unfolded in full public view, as the office was relocated, nearly three months ago, to a commercial complex run by the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC).
The incident -- among similar ones that had played out in the public eye, largely due to the location of the office and a lack of infrastructure on the premises -- raised the question of protecting the identity and privacy of children, which the Child Welfare Committee is legally mandated to do. The office is located on the first floor of the commercial complex, which has 10 shops, with an autorickshaw stand located in front, and a bus stop nearby, resulting in a high visitor footfall in the area. The office, by virtue of its location, compromises on confidentiality, claimed several child rights activists, who urged the district child protection officer to relocate the office to a spot that ensures a safe environment for children.
According to social welfare department sources, the old office was operated at a government-run home in GM Nagar in Ukkadam. The office was allegedly relocated as it was nearly two kilometres away from the Ukkadam Bus Stand, in order to make it more accessible to children and their families.
Children visit the office daily regarding sensitive cases, including Pocso Act-related cases, family disputes, and child marriage. As they arrive at the complex, members of the public and workers openly question them and their family members about the issues, paving the way for gossip and attempts at lecturing the children.
As per the Juvenile Justice Act, exposing a child's identity is a punishable offence. By operating out of the commercial complex, officials from the Social Welfare Department risk exposing the identities of the children, pointed out the activists.
Besides, there is no separate room in the office for interviewing Pocso case victims, forcing children to wait in lines and to sit on the stairs and undergo inquiries in front of visitors. Sources added that the office does not have proper sanitation facilities.
During a recent visit to the congested complex, TNIE observed children and their family members standing in lines outside the office, due to a total lack of seating arrangements. In one instance, a clash broke out between two families on the ground floor of the complex, leaving a young girl terrified while the public watched the altercation, with a few even allegedly filming it.
Child rights activist Devaneyan Arasu told TNIE that a CWC office should not operate like a government office. "Not only in Coimbatore, but CWC offices across the state are functioning in spaces that are unfriendly to children," he claimed, urging the state to formulate a standard operating procedure for setting up such office spaces.
When contacted, Shilpa Prabhakar Satish, Director of the Department of Children Welfare and Special Service, told TNIE that she would take appropriate steps to address the issues.
