MARGAO: Bailancho Ekvott, an NGO on Thursday expressed concern over the issue of rise in child sexual abuse, despite enactment of the POCSO Act, 2012 and demanded the authorities act against such predators with an iron hand.
Auda Viegas, President, Bailancho Ekvott stated that the innocence of children makes them vulnerable to predators who exploit their trust, often pretending as boyfriends/lovers.
“These children, unable to discern the ulterior motives of adults are often swayed by peer influences and fall prey to the deceptive notion of a ‘relationship’ crafted by these predators,” she added.
Viegas further said “It is heart-wrenching to witness hard working parents sending their children to school, unaware that a stealing predator has already intercepted and lured their child away from safety. These predators, under the guise of love, coerce children into surrendering to their demands, setting the state for subsequent acts of blackmail and exploitation”.
Viegas said that the child often pressured into sharing explicit images or meeting the predator in secluded locations/hills sides at late night where they are introduced to substance abuse and subjected to sexual abuse-sometimes even recorded on video by the predator’s accomplices. All this, adds to the complexity of child abuse.
‘Bailancho Ekvott’ is of the opinion that the investigative process poses significant challenges for officers tasked with eliciting information from these sly predators.
According to Viegas, the arrest of an accused predator should not overshadow the pressing need to support and rehabilitate the child victim.
“Our collective efforts must focus on preventing such abuses and ensuring justice and healing for those affected,” she added.
