Time for politicians to address children’s and women’s rights seriously

The recent arrest of the principal and three teachers at a school in Thanamalvila on the grounds they concealed information regarding the sexual abuse and gang rape of a 16-year-old girl by several students at the same school, has exposed the complicity of adults in covering up horrific sexual crimes.

Thanamalvila Police have also arrested 17 schoolboys on charges of having allegedly sexually abused a schoolgirl over the course of last year while the principal and teachers who were aware of the abuse concealed information without coming to the assistance of the victim.

The disgusting nature of the incident boggles the mind of an average person, and it is beyond shocking that teachers who are trusted by students should fail to protect them.

But sadly, for this country, this incident is but one of many such incidents involving the abuse of children. According to the statistics from the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), child abuse cases have increased by 38% with 4,380 complaints received during the first half of this year compared to 3,172 cases reported during the corresponding period of last year.

There is also a sharp rise in cases of cruelty towards children with 1,016 cases of cruelty reported in the first six months of the year showing an increase of 41% from the 721 incidents reported during the same period in 2023. These acts of cruelty include abusive behaviours, from physical violence to severe neglect, leaving a devastating impact on the young victims.

What we see statistically is the tip of the iceberg because the actual number of such cases do not get reported and statistics don’t show the real extent of the problem.

In recent months, several videos have surfaced of parents beating and torturing their children in the most inhuman manner. This shows that children are not even safe in their own homes. In some cases, the mothers of the children were employed abroad, and the fathers had turned abusive. In one case the father was making videos of him beating the children and sending it to the wife and blackmailing her to send money.

There have been many cases of abuse in shelters for abused children as well with secondary victimisation of child victims of abuse through the system, a common occurrence. 

There has also been a sharp rise in the cases of cyberbullying, many involving the distribution of nude photos. The NCPA had recorded 37 cases in the first half of the year of grave sexual abuse through digital means, reflecting the growing threats children face in the online space.

Children’s rights organisations have for a long time called for better protection for children, but the issue has never got the importance due to it. It’s not only children’s rights but the rights of women also that get step motherly treatment with policy makers paying scant attention to their problems.

Women make up around 52% of the population and are more than half the registered voters. But even political parties that make policy statements on all areas ignore this important segment of the population and are yet to come up with a comprehensive policy to combat child abuse, domestic violence and other forms of abuse of both children and women.

We are on the threshold for an election, and it is an opportune time for those contesting the upcoming election to tell the public what their plans are to ensure the rights and safety of children and women. This should go beyond mere fancy words and must be a pledge to grant constitutional rights for children and women so they can live in safety and security.