Act now, child abuse cases rising in lockdown, lawyers urge CJI

The letter written by two lawyers, Sumeer Sodhi and Aarzoo Aneja, said that during the lockdown though overall rate of crime had gone down, incidents of abuse and violence faced by children have risen. “Under normal circumstances, it is not considered

safe for abused children to stay at home as it might result in further suffering at the hands of their own family members. However, during the lockdown the danger to these children is exacerbated, as they are unable to leave their homes. The isolation has further shattered support networks, making it even more difficult for the victims to seek help or escape,” the letter said.

The lawyers, said that the basis of their letter are articles published in media in which it has been reported that hotlines are lighting up with cases of child abuse and the childline India Helpline has received more than 92,000 calls asking for protection of children from abuse and violence in the past few days during the lockdown period.

“It was further stated that number of calls have increased by 50 per cent since March 24, 2020, i.e. the day of imposition of lockdown.

It is further stated that confinement is fostering tension and strain created by security, health, and money issues. This sudden surge in the number of such incidents which are being reported and those which go unreported is not confined to India, as per various reports in international dailies,” the letter said.