MARGAO: In a letter addressed to the Police Inspector (PI) of Old Goa Police Station, the Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (GSCPCR), has raised an alarm about a distressing incident involving alleged exploitation of juveniles. GSCPCR attached a disturbing video in this regard that has been circulating widely.
“The Commission have recently become aware of a video that is being widely circulated, depicting very young children who are allegedly in conflict with the law. This situation constitutes a serious breach of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, particularly Section 74, which explicitly forbids revealing the identities of such children,” said Peter F Borges, GSCPCR Chairperson.
“In this incident, someone has filmed several young children believed to have committed minor infractions. The video not only displays their faces but also pressurises them to admit to these supposed offences on camera. The fact that this footage has been broadly shared across social media platforms exacerbates the situation, leading to the public humiliation and possible psychological damage of these children,” Borges added.
“This conduct directly contravenes the Juvenile Justice Act, which mandates that the identity of any child should not be exposed in any mode of communication, social media included. The purpose of this law is to uphold the privacy and dignity of children, particularly those facing legal issues, to prevent them from facing public shame or discrimination,” Borges stated.
GSCPCR directed the PI to launch a thorough investigation into this matter and requested that an action taken report within one week be submitted to its office, detailing the steps taken in response to this urgent matter.
“Identifying and legally prosecuting the individual responsible for filming and spreading the video is imperative for their flagrant violation of the law,” Borges added.
The letter further stressed upon the negative and harmful repercussions that such actions can have on the welfare and future prospects of the affected children.
