INDIA: India needs to protect its children from sexual abuse at a time when the country is struggling to come out from the trauma of the violent gang rape and murder of a woman in New Delhi, Human Rights Watch says

Record ID: 173974

  • Title: INDIA: India needs to protect its children from sexual abuse at a time when the country is struggling to come out from the trauma of the violent gang rape and murder of a woman in New Delhi, Human Rights Watch says
  • Date: 7th February 2013
  • Summary: NEW DELHI, INDIA (FEBRUARY 07, 2013) (REUTERS) REPORT BY HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH BEING RELEASED AUDIENCE SITTING ANTI-CHILD ABUSE ACTIVIST, SHANTHA SINHA, ADDRESSING THE AUDIENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANTI-CHILD ABUSE ACTIVIST, SHANTHA SINHA, SAYING: "One is looking for how the process of justice actually becomes a process of healing itself. We all know that it is at the moment a process of re-victimisation, but at each stage it should heal the child that by the time it is done the child feels so empowered that you have broken the silence." AUDIENCE SITTING CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
  • Embargoed: 22nd February 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: India
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Politics,People,Social Services / Welfare
  • Reuters ID: LVA10OYAIUPPYF8CO62CD3SRO68P
  • Story Text: India needs to protect its children from sexual abuse at a time when the country was struggling to come out from the trauma of the violent gang rape and murder of a woman in New Delhi, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a new report on Thursday (February 07).
    The New York based organisation released a report showing an alarming increase in the cases of child sexual abuse in India and the need to generate sensitivity and resources to fight it.
    The problem of child sexual abuse is disturbingly common in homes, schools, and residential care facilities in India, the report said.
    A 23-year-old woman was brutally raped by six men including a juvenile in a moving bus and subsequently died from her injuries. The incident sparked nationwide outrage with activists calling for stringent anti-rape laws.
    The 82-page HRW report, "Breaking the Silence: Child Sexual Abuse in India," blames the government for failing to protect children from sexual abuse and treating victims.
    "There is a lot of attention right now on sexual violence, we need to focus on the abuse on children, we need the government not just to legislate, we need the government to amend and to ensure that these policies," said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia Director, Human Rights Watch.
    After the Delhi rape case, the government appointed a committee to recommend reforms. The committee found that child protection schemes "have clearly failed to achieve their avowed objective."
    The report says addressing child sexual abuse is a challenge all over the world, but in India shortcomings in both state and community responses add to the problem.
    Child victims of sexual abuse are often mistreated and humiliated by police in India, the report said.
    Children shelters and orphanages are often found to be a false front for human trafficking and sex trade. The rights body showed footage of police raid at one such shelter, where an inmate alleges abuse.
    "They don't allow us to sleep, they don't allow us to take a bath," the inmate says in the clip.
    When asked what they were expected to do, she said: "Very disgusting work, I am too ashamed to even say it, men are sitting here and I cannot even speak of it," said the victim of child abuse, whose identity was been disclosed.
    The report calls for a reform of the criminal justice system, from the time police receive a complaint until trials are completed.
    "I think there are not enough resources, I think there are not enough people, who even know that child sexual abuse is all about," said Anuja Gupta, Director, Recovery and Healing from Incest.
    Doctors and officials said that the absence of guidelines and training for sensitive medical treatment and examination of victims of child sexual abuse contribute to trauma.
    Anti-child abuse activist Shantha Sinha said all children should get justice.
    "One is looking for how the process of justice actually becomes a process of healing itself. We all know that it is at the moment a process of re-victimisation, but at each stage it should heal the child that by the time it is done the child feels so empowered that you have broken the silence," said Sinha.
    India has far too few courts, judges and prosecutors for its 1.2 billion people. It has one fifth of the number of judges per capita that the United States has, and there is a backlog of millions of cases.
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