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December 10, 2004
Bitter truth about child abuse
Play to highlight harsh facts — often it is insider job, matter is usually hushed up
expressindia.com -- INDIA
Pune, December 7: IT’S NOT only shocking. Facts are brutally telling. At least 40 per cent of Indian girls have experienced Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) before 16 while 25 per cent young boys too have been victims. Of all rape cases, 75 per cent are minors.
Surveys conducted by a host of organisations point out that strangers are not too blame. In more than 70 per cent cases it is an ‘inside job’ and the abuser could be a relative, friend, neighbour, teacher or ‘rickshaw uncle’. Bringing home these harsh facts is Bitter Chocolate — a one-act play to be staged on Wednesday at Nehru Memorial Hall.
Sharing this were representatives of Action for the Rights of the Child (ARC) who are involved in the campaign against CSA. ARC is a network of several organisations working towards the realisation of children’s rights.
MUSKAN has been focussing on the campaign against CSA and providing support and care to the victims, says Simrita Gopal Singh, coordinator of MUSKAN.
She pointed out cases of a nine-year old girl being sexually assaulted and raped by a neighbour in Wanavdi, a father abusing two daughters aged 15 and 17.
Member organisations of ARC like India Sponsorship Committee, Mobile Creches, Swadhar and Saathi have also encountered several cases of CSA, says Ingrid Mendonca and Anjali Bapat.
The play is being staged to raise awareness on CSA and invite discussions on the problem. Based on Pinky Virani’s book Bitter Chocolate — Child Sexual Abuse in India, the one-act play stars Lushin Dubey. The play is being hosted by ARC in association with Karve Institute of Social Sciences and MUSKAN.
‘‘The after-taste of chocolate can be really bitter,’’ says Dr Alka Pawar, Head, Department of Psychiatry, B J Medical College as she points out that there is strong resistance to admitting the existence of the problem.
Everything is hushed up and a child who reports a case is often met with distrust. Even if a case is detected, it is hushed up to save the reputation of the family, school, institution and child, she added.
The play will emphasise just that — specially that a part of childhood dies when he/she is sexually abused.
Posted by Nealus at December 10, 2004 03:32 PM
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