During pandemic, child marriages and sexual abuse cases rise in the Nilgiris
The Hindu
UDHAGAMANDALAM Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of children in the Nilgiris who have been sexually abused increased by more than 50 %, according to figures provided by the District
UDHAGAMANDALAM Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of children in the Nilgiris who have been sexually abused increased by more than 50 %, according to figures provided by the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU). According to officials, 37 instances of sexual abuse of minors were recorded in 2019, prior to the outbreak of COVID-19. But, the number rose to 56 in 2020. And, the first four months of 2021 have already seen 22 cases being recorded. During the pandemic-related lockdown, children left alone at home have been at risk of sexual abuse, especially by persons known to the family. Officials said that with schools remaining closed for more than a year, many parents of teenage minor girls believe that it was “safer” to get their children married. “Many of these girls are from disenfranchised communities, with parents having to go to work, leaving the child unattended at home. They fear that their children could be abused at home by a relative, or become sexually active,” said an official from the DCPU.A crowd comprising farmers, researchers, professors, students, and horticulture enthusiasts thronged the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Hesaraghatta, Bengaluru, on Friday for the inaugural ceremony of the Triphal Diversity Show which showcased 300 mango, 100 jackfruit, and 100 banana genotypes in collaboration with ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchirappalli.
The State government on Friday constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Additional Director-General of Police, Manish Kharbikar of the Economic Offences division of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to probe the alleged multi-crore scam in the government-run Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation.
The Deputy Commissioner and the Election Officer for Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency M. P. Mullai Muhilan said here on Friday that over 600 staff will be involved in the counting of votes cast in the April 26 elections, at the counting centre at the National Institute of Technology – Karnataka, Surathkal, on June 4.