GUWAHATI, July 9 - The Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) has expressed concern that violence against children in the State has not stopped, but rather has increased even during and post lockdown.
From the last week of March when the nationwide lockdown was imposed, till the end of June, as many as 113 cases of child rights violation were registered with the police in the State under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
Significantly, even as the State came to a standstill along with the rest of the country due to the crisis situation induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, a total of 47 cases of child marriage, 13 cases of child labour and three cases of abduction were addressed by the district child protection units, even as more than 40 cases of other forms of offences against children were also recorded.
At a webinar on child protection concerns during COVID-19 held on July 7, the ASCPCR noted with concern that contrary to the expectations of a fall in the number of cases of child rights violation, such cases have rather gone up.
The sudden pandemic due to the spread of COVID-19 has widely affected the population. Due to the lockdown a large chunk of the population, including a significant number of children, had returned to their villages. But, despite a restriction on movement since the lockdown, cases of violence against children have not stopped, the child rights body stated.
The ASCPCR also expressed its apprehension that due to the economic and social implications associated with the lockdown, a large number of children would be engaged in child labour, and trafficking of children would increase as more minors would fall into the hands of traffickers.
It may be noted that with the start of the lockdown, and looking into the best interest of children, the ASCPCR had issued various sets of recommendations from time to time to the line departments on issues concerning protection of children in the State.
