“Great power comes with great responsibility.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Our team embarked on yet another crucial mission – a Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) prevention and awareness session in one of the major cities of India. Another NGO invited us for a two-day workshop in a school.
The session was going on an excellent note, proof of the connective vibes we were receiving from the students. Owing to our team’s ability to bond with the children, it is routine for us to hear their stories related to CSA at the end of every session. At the end of 2 continuous days, and for the first time, we came across 13 to 14 dreadful CSA stories in a single school from these brave children. 7 to 8 of them were so severe that they required mandatory and immediate reporting. This was the time when the real struggle began for us.
Our team promptly began the reporting regime, following our established protocols: The school authorities were first notified providing them an opportunity to report CSA cases for their school children.
Unfortunately, our hastiness to help the children was presumed to be a rude reaction, and our coordinator started getting calls saying “The team is very rude”. The chaos of miscommunication had already been created, but our coordinator controlled the situation and gained their trust that we would not immediately report the cases without any discussion with the school management and scheduled a meeting with the school officials.
The meeting concluded that the school officials would let us know whether the cases were to be reported by themselves or by our team. Despite our efforts to take follow-ups and address the situation, the school administration tried giving various excuses, delaying the necessary actions because this could question the school’s reputation.
Recognizing the urgency of the matter, we took charge and gave them a deadline to either make a decision or we will directly report the cases without their permission. The coordinator of the NGO that invited us then came into the picture, coordinating with the school, he asked us to report all the severe cases.
Our part of the reporting began with encountering difficulty in reaching the Child helpline number 1098. Therefore we were compelled to contact the governing authority for assistance. We informed them about the entire incident and got criticism for the delay in reporting which was also beyond our control, but we continued working in the best interest of the children. It was mutually decided to visit the school the next day along with the police and investigate the cases further. They also told us that immediate action would be taken for the same which gave us a sigh of relief for that moment and also a better sleep at that night.
But our relief was short-lived when the dedicated team failed to show up at the school as per the plan. As our team reached the school and the authority backed out from the case at that same time, the whole team felt helpless. The principal treated our team members very disrespectfully. Our trip to the school on that day was highly disturbing, as we were forced to verbally share the details about CSA survivors. We were ready to share the details but only over the mail (Documentation purpose) as per our protocol. Despite our suggestion to document the information via email, they simply said NO. A lot of things happened that day, but all we knew was success requires a lot of effort, and we will always try our best to reach our goal.
After a lot of calls and conflicts and the disrespect we faced, we persisted in pursuing the case for the greater good. The next day they reported the cases to the police. Later that very day, a call from the sub-inspector delivered both relief and frustration when they told us on call, “We interrogated one of the Survivors and they denied experiencing any abuse to the lady handling the case.”
We were extremely shocked to know that they were directly asking CSA survivors about the abuse. Then we had to teach her in those 15 to 20 minutes of conversation that “Obviously the direct questions of abuse to a CSA survivor will be a denial. Please refrain from asking directly, you can always verify the same from various other methods.”
“This was the incident where I felt like that they, being investigators of CSA cases, do not even know the proper way of handling a CSA Survivor” – Exact words of our Team Coordinator.
Despite numerous attempts to follow up with the sub-inspector regarding the issues, there was no response. Additionally, formal communication channels such as email have not yielded any replies from the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
One more call can also be an interesting part of this journey where we were told the reason of absence for the previous authority team was because the school does not come under their jurisdiction. They being the authority were not clear about the jurisdiction of the school. But we didn’t give up and successfully searched for the respective team and reported the entire scenario again.
This only pointed out their lack of handling the situation properly. These are some of the loopholes that do exist at ground level. Some of them do not know their powers; some of them do not understand their responsibilities, and authorities do not even know the way of handling these types of cases.
We were relieved when the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) informed us verbally that the cases have undergone investigation, and appropriate actions are being undertaken by the authorities.
This experience served as a wake-up call for our team, shedding light on the crucial need for comprehensive education and training for all involved authorities in handling Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) survivors effectively. It became evident that these gaps can hinder the seamless support these children desperately require.
This experience has not only strengthened our resolve but has also served as a powerful inspiration for our team. It has motivated us to double our efforts for the betterment of children in our society. Rather than breaking us, this incident has fortified our determination to combat cases of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) and to continue our mission of making the world a safer and more nurturing place for all children.
Moving forward, our vision is one of a well-equipped and transparent system, where every child receives the unwavering support they deserve, free from prejudice or bias. We are committed to advocating for systemic change that prioritizes the safety and well-being of children at every step of their journey.
As a unified team, we at Bachpan Save the Innocence express our heartfelt gratitude to the Divine for granting us the strength and wisdom to confront and address such challenging incidents. We recognize and appreciate the guidance and resources provided to us, enabling us to navigate through various situations effectively.
In our prayers, we ask for ongoing support and guidance, envisioning a world where Bachpan Save the Innocence becomes the leading force in preventing Child Sexual Abuse globally. Our goal is to eventually eliminate these cases, aiming for a future where children are safe from such harm.