Kerala, a state in India that’s famous for its high literacy and good healthcare, is unfortunately facing a serious issue. It has the fourth-highest number of child rape cases in the country. Just in the first seven months of 2017, there were 983 cases where children were sexually assaulted in a very harmful way. This number is even higher than the total cases of child rape in the entire year of 2016.
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Experts have looked into this problem, and they believe that not all people who commit child rape are pedophiles, which are adults attracted to children. Some do it out of confusion or curiosity about their own bodies and feelings, which they call sexual anarchism or experimentation. This is a concerning situation, and it’s important for everyone, including young adults, to be aware of these issues and work together to protect children.
On the night of September 6, in Aluva, which is around 10 kilometers away from Kochi airport, the sky was dark, and it was raining heavily. In a modest house, two women and their children stayed up late before going to bed.
Late that night, their husbands, who were brothers from Bihar, had departed for Thiruvananthapuram. About two hours past midnight, a hand sneaked inside the silent house through an open window and quietly unlocked the front door. It was Crystal Raj, a well-known thief, who slipped into the living room and swiped a mobile phone.
Afterward, he picked up one of the sleeping children, an 8-year-old girl, and quietly left amidst the pouring rain. When a neighbor eventually discovered her, the girl had suffered a horrifying ordeal, being both sexually assaulted and subjected to brutal violence. Not long before this tragic incident, just a month prior, a 5-year-old girl had been sexually assaulted and tragically killed near the bustling Aluva market, one of the busiest markets in the district.
However, it’s important to note that child rapists are not limited to Aluva; they are a disturbing concern in other areas as well.
Kerala, a state celebrated for its high literacy rates, quality healthcare, and overall human development, faces a troubling issue. Shockingly, it ranks fourth in the country for the number of child rape cases. In the first seven months of this year (January-July), Kerala reported a distressing 983 cases of severe sexual assault on children.
This number surpasses the total count of child rape cases recorded in the entire year of 2016. What’s even more concerning is that this figure has been steadily increasing over the years. In the previous year, a staggering 1,677 such cases were registered across the state.
Do these numbers suggest a rise in the number of pedophiles? According to Dr. CJ John, a senior consultant psychiatrist at Medical Trust Hospital in Kochi, it’s not easy to generalize the reasons behind child rape. He points out that there are various factors at play.
“Some individuals, like pedophiles or those with criminal tendencies, may commit such acts,” Dr. John explains. “However, a significant portion of perpetrators doesn’t necessarily exhibit these traits. They might engage in rape due to a form of sexual confusion or experimentation. In such cases, you may not find clear pedophilic tendencies in them, but they could be taking advantage of an opportunity to explore different forms of sexuality,” he added.
Bitty Joseph, who served as the former chairperson of Ernakulam Child Welfare Committee (CWC), highlighted that the recent cases in Aluva were unusual because the culprits were strangers. She explained, “In the first case, the man lured the girl with chocolates, and in the second case, the girl was kidnapped. However, in many instances, the perpetrator is someone known to the child. When predators are relatives, friends, or neighbors, it creates a dangerous environment for child abuse to occur conveniently.”
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Joseph points out that a significant portion of the reported “child rape” cases are actually instances of consensual sexual activity among teenagers. She explains that children in Kerala are tech-savvy and often aware of how their peers in other countries behave.
“They have fewer inhibitions and tend to experiment,” she notes. “So, many cases involve children aged between 15 and 18 who engage in sexual activity due to love affairs. Unfortunately, when these cases come to light, one of them is treated as a child in conflict with the law, while the other is labeled as a survivor under the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. It’s high time we reevaluate the law in this regard,” she suggests.
Dr. John emphasizes the importance of increased vigilance to prevent crimes like the recent Aluva rape. He urges the public to report any doubts or suspicions to competent authorities. He also stresses that people should not take offense when law enforcement officials inquire about a child they are with, even if it’s their own child. Dr. John believes that both the public and authorities should encourage such vigilance.
Ernakulam range DIG Putta Vimaladitya adds that each case requires a unique solution. “We implement various preventive measures against repeat offenders,” he explains. “Strengthening patrolling is one such solution. Having more police presence in public areas may help reduce such crimes.”