As the discussion comes to an end, Rajeev Chandrasekhar pledges to The Quint to help Chhoti Nirbhaya.
Also, panel members agree that this dialogue should act as a catalyst in the conversation about child sex abuse.
Also Read: The Quint Impact: Delhi Govt to Give Chhoti Nirbhaya Rs 3 Lakh
The Quint’s relentless reporting on Chhoti Nirbhaya, the 4-year-old rape survivor, has forced the Delhi government to act. The government has agreed to provide a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to the victim’s family.
Nirbheek, an Initiative by Delhi Police
Veenu Bansal, DCP, Delhi police talks about his initiative called Nirbheek. Bansal says, “I started a programme called Nirbheek to make it easier for children to report cases of child sexual abuse. It also includes sensitisation of the child towards the police. I have noticed that kids are not easily convinced to speak with policemen. So we are meeting them regularly and talking to them to make the process easier.
Bansal said that police officers have gone to 557 schools and tried to educate them about sexual abuse. Lady officers, Bansal claims, now take verbal complaints which include being subjected to lewd remarks. Bansal claims over 2,000 verbal complaints and 300 written complaints were received.
Also Read on The Quint: It’s a ‘National Epidemic’: RainbowMan Harish Iyer on Child Abuse
Rashmi Saxena from the Women and Child Development Ministry speaks on the importance of teaching children the difference between a good and a bad touch.
“There is a film that the ministry is trying to screen in every school to help kids understand what is a good touch and a bad touch. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the police are working together”.
Govt Aims for National Level Policy
“We are definitely working on a national level policy and not just for abuse. It will be wider than that. We are also working on a programme to identify children before they are abused.”
When it’s in the Family, Mothers Must Act
When asked about sensitising the victims’ mothers, Bharti Ali says,
Statistics, good or bad, show Delhi is contributing a lot more to incest cases, where the abuse is from someone within the family. Just today I met a mother who brought her daughter who is 5 months pregnant. And she was quiet about the perpetrator.
On the same subject, actor Pooja Bedi says, “ The synergy between the mother and the child is most important. We have to make recourse available and need effective policing. My maid has been trying to lodge an FIR for eight years. And instead of receiving help, she was fined her for raising her voice”.
Also Read on The Quint: ‘My Husband Raped Our 3-Year-Old & Authorities Refused to Help’
‘It is not a Gender-based Problem’
Anuja Gupta of RAHI is asked whether there is need for a separate organisation for male victims of child sex abuse.
Gupta responds, “The fact that RAHI works with female victims doesn’t mean the problem does not exist among the young male population. But we need more help. We need more people helping out.