Chennai child sexual abuse: Can parents and community do more to tackle such crimes? The responsibility of stopping such incidents lies with families and the community, not only law enforcement bodies. news CSA Chennai city is reeling in shock after news broke out about the sexual assault of a 11-year-old girl in an apartment complex over a period of seven months. Details about the case are still emerging. The police, meanwhile, has arrested 17 men who stand accused of the crime. While some of them allegedly sexually assaulted the child, others are said to have watched visuals of the crime and conspired to keep it a secret. Whenever such incidents make it to the headlines, there is an outpouring of anger and subsequent paranoia. There are calls to subject the accused to immediate vigilante justice - as if that will resolve the crisis that we find ourselves in. The single most important question that we must ask is, what can we do as parents, caregivers and as a community to prevent such incidents? The victim in this case is also hearing impaired. Studies have shown that children with disabilities are nearly 4 times more likely to be vulnerable to sexual violence than others. Given this, the parents should have been more vigilant about their child and her activities, especially when the case details suggest that she often returned home with visible marks on her body as well as exhibited behavioural changes. Experts say that two-thirds of child sexual abuse victims do not have physical injuries, making it all the more difficult for parents and other adults to detect the crime. However, in the Chennai case, this isn't true. The complaint copy that TNM has accessed reads like an unending list of horrors. It's necessary, therefore, to ask uncomfortable questions about why it took so long for the incident to come to light. Even if the crime could not have been prevented, could the child's family have known it earlier had there been better communication? Those who have worked closely in child sexual abuse cases concur that the onus of CSA prevention must also lie with the community, the family and not just law enforcement bodies. What can parents do? To all parents, safety of their children is paramount. However, parents should not believe that their job is done with a talk on safe touch and unsafe touch or stranger danger. It isn't. The talk can only be a part of a larger conversation towards establishing trust and creating an enabling environment where the child can confide in the parents about what is going on in his/her life. a. Believe your child Abusers, especially ones who abuse a child over a period of time, groom the victim into maintaining silence about what is happening. This may be in the form of threats or rewards; it can also be by conditioning the child that nobody would believe him/her if they spoke about this. Given that an overwhelming majority of abusers are people who are known to the victim - mostly family and friends - children find it all the more difficult to break out of the guilt and shame that they are subjected to by the abuser. The parents' job then, is to instill in the child the belief that s/he will never be discounted and nothing is outside the realm of believability. It can be the other parent, a grandparent, relative, teacher, friend or whoever else. Your response to what the child is saying cannot be dependent on who the abuser is - this is extremely difficult but unless you come to terms with it yourself, you cannot blame the child for not speaking up earlier. This means that you unconditionally respect your child's autonomy over his/her body - and whether it's "harmless" tickling from an uncle or something worse, you don't ignore it and look the other way because it's inconvenient to speak up. b. Speak about sexuality As the child grows, it's important to talk to him/her about sexuality. About their changing bodies, mind and emotions. The fact that this is nothing to be ashamed of and is very much a normal part of growing up. This cannot be an overnight discussion because the child does not grow up overnight. It has to be a gradual process initiated and sustained by the parent. This not only makes the child open up to the parent more, it also empowers them with a vocabulary to articulate when something goes wrong. c. Make them understand what consent means Consent, in the context of sexual activity, means agreeing to participate in sexual acts. According to law, only an adult can give consent. It is illegal for an adult to engage in sexual acts with a minor, even if the minor has "agreed" to it. However, while discussing consent, parents must also be cognizant of the fact that children explore their sexuality as they grow up and may participate in acts like peer touching among themselves. Just as it's important to tell them about sexual abuse by adults, it's equally relevant to talk to them about staying safe and respecting a peer's wishes. d. Respond with a sense of proportion If your response to anything confidential that your child tells you is panic and paranoia, you can be sure that the child will stop telling you things. While it is important to act, do it with a sense of proportion and in a way that it doesn't end up stripping your child of their privileges. For instance, if your teenager says someone flashed her when she was on her way to the supermarket, stopping her from going anywhere by herself is not the solution. Children, as they grow up, crave more independence. They want to do things by themselves, be by themselves. Restricting their freedom in order to protect them may make them more secretive and less willing to open up about what's happening. e. Be alert In general, it's good to ask your child about what s/he did during the day - whom they spoke to, who they played with, who said what.<doc-sep>MK Stalin expresses shock over sexual abuse of Chennai minor, demands strict punishment In a statement, the DMK working president also asked for government assistance to the victim's family. news Child abuse Reacting to the shocking news of the sexual assault of an 11-year-old Chennai girl, DMK working president MK Stalin expressed his concern over the incident, which was exposed on Tuesday. In a statement released by his office, Stalin has demanded that the 17 men, who have been accused of sexually assaulting the girl for months, be given the strongest punishment and that government assistance is meted out to the victim's family. "The government should ensure the safety of women across Tamil Nadu. The onus is on the government to protect women and ensure speedy trial and justice to the victim,” his statement read. The incident, which rattled the city involves an 11-year-old with disabilities, who was allegedly sexually abused by multiple men in a Chennai apartment, over a span of seven months. The survivor was allegedly drugged with injections and forced to consume spiked drinks by the perpetrators, who also allegedly videographed the act and threatened her not to confide in her parents. The crime came to light when the girl informed her sister of a stomach pain. The 17 men, who worked as security guards, plumbers and maintenance staff in and around the apartment complex, were taken into police custody. Speaking to the reporters after the incident, G Mohanakrishnan, president of the Madras High Court Advocates Association, said, “We have decided to not represent the accused in any trial in relation to this case. If any of them represent them, they will be removed from the association.” Also read: Chennai horror: 11-yr-old girl allegedly raped by many men for 7 months<doc-sep>A lawyer attempts to pull the grille of a police vehicle carrying the accused, in Chennai on Tuesday. Reuters A lawyer attempts to pull the grille of a police vehicle carrying the accused, in Chennai on Tuesday. Reuters Seventeen men, including a lift operator, an electrician, plumbers, security guards and gardeners who worked with an apartment complex in Chennai have been arrested on the charge of sexually abusing an 11-year-old differently-abled girl for over a period of seven months. The girl was subjected to repeated sexual harassment since January, police said. According to police, the victim’s family filed the complaint on Saturday after the girl narrated her ordeal to her elder sister. “The victim, a differently abled, lived with her mother in the apartment. Her businessman father and elder sister, who is pursuing higher studies, live in another city. When her elder sister visited home last week, she noticed something amiss with the victim and spoke to her,” police said. Soon after a complaint was filed at the local police station in central Chennai, the case was shifted to an all-women police station for detailed probe. According to the victim, an officer said, she was abused the first sometime “during the last New Year.” “As she was differently abled, her mother used to let her play a lot with other children in the apartment. While playing one day, she entered the lift and that was the first time the operator tried to abuse her. The lift operator later brought in his other colleagues. Her mother said she often assumed that the child was playing outside. Most of the incidents happened inside the elevator and even in an empty flat in the complex,” said the officer. About 60 people are employed with the complex that houses about 400 flats. READ | Lawyers thrash men accused in sexual assault of minor girl; advocate body refuses to take their case The officer added that the accused also gave the victim substances like Gutkha to sedate her during the abuse. Police has also sent samples of soft drink bottles on suspicion of the culprits having used liquor or other sedatives on the victim. According to the victim, an officer said, she was abused the first sometime “during the last New Year.” According to the victim, an officer said, she was abused the first sometime “during the last New Year.” After a police complaint was filed, the girl was examined by a team of doctors in a government medical college. “Conversation with the doctors helped her reveal more about the abuses,” an officer said. The 17 accused are in the 20-60 years age group. They are from Ayanavaram, Otteri and Pulianthope — areas near the apartment complex. Police said they suspect the role of five more people and they are looking for them. After the accused were nabbed on Sunday and Monday, all of them have been charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. They were remanded in Puzhal prison on Tuesday.<doc-sep>Chennai police on Tuesday arrested 17 men including security guards, electricians and plumbers who allegedly raped an 11-year-old hearing impaired girl in an apartment block over the past seven months. All the accused were produced in the Saidapet Mahila court where some of them were beaten up by a group of lawyers as public anger and shock at the child’s assault spiralled. In a video of the assault, which has gone viral, a group of men in white shirts and black trousers are seen dragging a man from a staircase, beating him with fists and kicking him on his stomach while police personnel struggled to protect the accused. Charged with raping a minor, under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), the court sent all the accused to judicial custody till July 31. The police said they are looking out for a few more suspects involved in the crime that has left Chennai shocked and furious. “We are taking it as a special case and working on it,” a police officer said. Video: Rape accused thrashed by lawyers in a court in Chennai Madras High Court Advocates Association (MHAA) announced that no advocate will appear for the arrested members. “We have requested the legal fraternity to stay away from appearing for the accused and we will also appeal against the state legal aid services if they move the mandatory bail petition for the accused,” said MHAA president G. Mohana Krishnan. Police said the girl was first sexually assaulted by a 66-year-old lift operator after she returned from school and was cycling around the complex and later several others joined in the assault. He allegedly invited other men who filmed each other raping the child. The accused allegedly took the girl to various places in the complex including the basement, terrace, gym and public restrooms to rape her. The officer said the victim identified all the accused. At least four of them have confessed to the assault and two others said they had molested the girl, the official added. The girl’s parents lodged a complaint on Monday with the All Women Police Station in Vepery after which police swung into action. Based on the complaint, police first arrested a lift man and picked up two of his accomplices on the intervening night of Monday-Tuesday. “With the investigations leading to more suspects, a total of 24 are to be charged under rape,” a senior police official told HT. Special teams have been formed to nab the absconding suspects, he said. The girl has been referred to a government hospital for medical examination and the reports will soon be filed in the court, the official said. According to police, the victim is a second daughter of a north Indian family settled in Chennai. The girl’s father in his complaint said that his daughter was suffering from periodic stomach aches and enquiries by her mother revealed that the child was sexually abused by a group of men from January 15 to July 5, the complaint said adding that the gang threatened the victim with dire consequences. The child is also said to have been sedated a couple of times and this charge will be added only after a thorough investigation. Some used syringes have been picked up from the apartment for forensic examination. Police are also examining CCTV camera footage of the apartment block. Some of the arrested allegedly took nude pictures of the victim and the mobile phones of all those arrested are being examined, police said. Tamil Nadu Association for the rights of differently-abled and caregivers (TARATDAC) condemned the sexual attack and demanded capital punishment for the offenders. “Sexual attacks against differently-abled go unchecked in TN. Recently a 17 year old girl who cannot hear was raped and killed in a village at Sivaganga district. Now, an 11-year-old child with hearing impairment has been abused,” said S Namburajan, state general secretary, TARATDAC. The crime dominated Twitter under the hashtag Chennaihorror. “Rape itself is a heinous crime but repeated rape of a differently abled child calls for a death sentence,” tweeted political commentator Sumanth Raman. PMK founder Dr Ramadoss also condemned the sexual attack on the child and urged the parents to spend quality time with their kids, so that such attacks are avoided. The crime is the latest in a series of rape of minors in the country. Earlier this month, a 99-year-old retired school principal was arrested in Chennai for allegedly raping a 10-year-old girlwhile a 38-year-old man allegedly assaulted the 14-month-old daughter of his nephew in Vidisha near Bhopal on Saturday.<doc-sep>
According to the police, the first incident of sexual assault was by an elevator operator and subsequently, he brought many more people, including his colleagues, to sexually abuse the child. According to the police, the first incident of sexual assault was by an elevator operator and subsequently, he brought many more people, including his colleagues, to sexually abuse the child. Lawyers at Chennai’s Mahila court on Tuesday thrashed all 17 men who are accused of molesting a 12-year-old girl over the last seven month. The accused were thrashed when they were brought to the court for the appearance before the magistrate. The video of the assault has gone viral. Meanwhile, Chennai High Court Advocate Association President Mohana Krishnan has announced that no lawyer will take the case of the 18 accused. The Chennai police had Monday arrested those 17 men, who worked at a city apartment complex, for molesting a 12-year-old girl. The assault reportedly took place multiple times by different men over the last seven months until the victim shared her experience with her sister last week. Soon after, a complaint was lodged by her parents and the case was shifted to the city’s all women’s police station. The victim was taken for a medical examination and a team of senior government doctors who examined her confirmed that she was subjected to sexual assault. #WATCH: Dramatic visuals from Mahila Court in Chennai where lawyers thrash the 18 accused, who sexually harassed an 11-year-old girl for over a period of 7 months. #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/8ASDOlm7gW — ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2018 According to the police, the first incident of sexual assault was by an elevator operator and subsequently, he brought many more people, including his colleagues, to sexually abuse the child. A senior officer probing the case said the child was living with her mother while her father, a businessman, and an elder sister, were living in a different city. “It was her elder sister, who visited home last week, who first raised the suspicion seeing the fatigue of the victim. The child then revealed her harrowing experience. They filed a complaint. She was examined by a team of senior doctors. We are awaiting more medical reports,” the officer said. The accused have also used drug substances to sedate the victim, police said. Often, police said, the child was sexually harassed in the evening, when her mother assumed that she was playing with other children in the apartment complex. The huge complex, with many vacant flats, helped the accused take her to deserted areas in the complex. All those arrested were employees who worked for a security firm and a private firm supplying housekeeping staff. The victim’s statement was recorded in a Mahila court. Charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, all 17 accused have been sent to Puzhal prison Tuesday.