During pandemic, child marriages and sexual abuse cases rise in the Nilgiris

UDHAGAMANDALAM Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of children in the Nilgiris who have been sexually abused increased by more than 50 %, according to figures provided by the District

UDHAGAMANDALAM Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of children in the Nilgiris who have been sexually abused increased by more than 50 %, according to figures provided by the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU). According to officials, 37 instances of sexual abuse of minors were recorded in 2019, prior to the outbreak of COVID-19. But, the number rose to 56 in 2020. And, the first four months of 2021 have already seen 22 cases being recorded. During the pandemic-related lockdown, children left alone at home have been at risk of sexual abuse, especially by persons known to the family. Officials said that with schools remaining closed for more than a year, many parents of teenage minor girls believe that it was “safer” to get their children married. “Many of these girls are from disenfranchised communities, with parents having to go to work, leaving the child unattended at home. They fear that their children could be abused at home by a relative, or become sexually active,” said an official from the DCPU.