POCSO cases in Andhra Pradesh: Healing wounds of broken childhood Premium
The Hindu
Government school girls report sexual abuse, leading to legal action, support, and resilience in Andhra Pradesh, highlighting the importance of intervention.
Two 13-year-old girls studying in Class 9 at a government school sit to talk during the lunch break after attending a ‘safe touch-unsafe touch’ class. Bhavani apprehensively tells her friend, Lakshmi, that her father has been behaving inappropriately toward her.
Lakshmi takes a minute to overcome her panic and informs her teacher about what Bhavani told her. The teacher swiftly summons the health staff and the police to investigate. Medical tests reveal that Bhavani is pregnant.
Meanwhile, the police registered an FIR against the father, learning that the 35-year-old man had been sexually abusing his two daughters, Bhavani and her 9-year-old sister.
The doctors find that Bhavani’s pregnancy has exceeded the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) period. Left with no choice, Bhavani had to continue the pregnancy.
The incident of sexual abuse of children, which occurred in the year 2020 in Andhra Pradesh, shook the public consciousness when it came to light. But, what followed was a testimony of the impact that State intervention and support can have in giving survivors of child sexual abuse the strength to overcome trauma, says Rani (name changed), the counsellor from the health department, as she recalled the immense resilience and grit Bhavani showed over the last five years.
“It was obviously a tough task for Bhavani. She spent sleepless nights crying. Her mother, who was bedridden when the abuse was reported, died soon after. Bhavani was left without basic support from the primary family group,” says Rani.
The police, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and Child Welfare Committee (CWC) took prompt action. The perpetrator was jailed. Bhavani’s paternal aunt came forward to support her nieces even as the 13-year-old endured the added agony of an unwanted pregnancy and gave the baby up for adoption.
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