Don’t turn a blind eye to crime against children: Kids at rally

Nearly one hundred people, mainly students and women, participated in the rally, which was flagged off by chief guest and Deputy Commissioner (Crimes Against Women and Children) H Jayalakshmi.

“My department, under the guidance of Commissioner AK Viswanathan, assures that we will sensitise our team to emotionally and physically handle crime against children. We have a zero tolerance policy towards crimes against children. All angles of abuse and neglect are looked into,” she said.

According to Vasanthi Babu, a student counsellor at Anna University, who took part in the event, abuse comes in various forms, one of which is neglect.

“Child neglect can be seen at home by the parents, at school by the teachers, and by the society at large,” she said.

“Child abuse can shatter the individual long after the actual abuse, and it is a life-long burden that they bear. There needs to be a community effort and accountability to counter child abuse. Like what happened in the Ayanavaram case, people cannot turn a blind eye to a child. People must consider their community as their family,” she said.

The event was also attended by social organisations such as FICCI FLO and Lion’s Club. At the event, Bruce Schwak, COO of NetMeds, said: “The task of protecting children should not be something that should be left with police alone. The society must also be active agents in protecting children. We must report anything suspicious and ensure that we draw the attention of authorities to any possible threat.”