What is the govt.’s plan to ensure the safety of children?

According to the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), 141 serious cases of child sexual abuse, 330 incidents of sexual harassment, and 32 cases of child rape were recorded between January 1 and July 31. In addition, 44 cases of child pregnancies were reported during the same period. This had been an issue that hasn’t been resolved over successive regimes. In most instances these perpetrators are ‘protected’ by the law due to their political affiliations. But it is sad that none of these political leaders are worried about the future of these children. It is not just enough to say that children are the future of this country if their future is being compromised due to abuse, harassment and torture. A child who deals with childhood trauma would have a lot of hatred towards society and there will be a point in time when he or she would release their hatred in ways that could cause harm to others. In order to avoid such incidents from taking place, it is the responsibility of the state as well as the judiciary to expedite these cases before the victims are no longer willing to continue the case as they too, need to live a life of normalcy. Therefore, it is high time that the incumbent government takes some concrete action in this regard because after all, the life of every child matters. 

Asiri Perera

Wattala