New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV), in collaboration with Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi has initiated a year-long campaign #Justice4EveryChild to support child victims of sexual abuse and rape who are fighting their cases in court. The campaign aims to intervene in 5,000 cases of child sexual abuse and rape in 100 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) across the country with the highest backlogs of POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012) cases across India.
Child sexual abuse and rape is a national crisis. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) Report for 2019, three children are raped and five children are sexually assaulted every hour in India. Justice For Every Child is a national campaign that will ensure victims of child sexual abuse and rape get legal representation, mental health support, rehabilitation and compensation to enable them to heal and continue their lives with dignity and freedom.
Here are the highlights from the #Justice4EveryChild Telethon:
Here is the campaign anthem 'Nikal Pade Hain' written by Kailash Satyarthi and Co-Composed and arranged by rock band Indian Ocean.
Many generations of my family have been victims of bonded labour but I got a chance to study and dream. Now I am a lawyer: Amar Lal, Lawyer & Survivor
Each district in Delhi has exclusive courts for children: HS Phoolka, Senior Advocate
Victim compensation schemes states that POCSO cases are not included. Interim compensation is required in such cases. Changes brought in by Delhi High Court after a writ filed by Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi. Now the investigation happens within a specified time. Delhi has exclusive courts for children, child-friendly courts. There is a need of additional mental and social support to victims along with justice.
Manoj Abraham, Nodal Officer, Kerala Police Cyberdome, talked about an increase in crimes digitally and within the household
Dr PM Nair, Former IPS Officer, Former Director General, National Disaster Response Force, National Expert on Human Trafficking
There is a gap between text and context. Law enforcement and justice delivery is a problem. Even if you make law, we have to ensure that there is no gap. If you bring a specific law against trafficking, it should be a comprehensive law. It should cover digital exploitation as well. Secondly, rescue is a matter of a right. Rehabilitation should also be a right. Thirdly, accountability must be ensured. Fourthly, investigating is a very difficult task and you need lot of expertise. We need to bring all agencies together.
Child sexual abuse is a huge problem in India and one that is not limited by socio-economic class: Vivek Gambhir, CEO, BoAt
Corporates can play a massive role: Madan Bahal, Managing Director, Adfactors PR
Corporates can play a massive role. If corporates decide to come together, they can create a tsunami of actions. If corporate collective of sorts come together and say we are taking this up, I think what India can achieve in the cause of children would really be remarkable.
I cannot even imagine the despair and helplessness child victims and their families feel in trying to get legal aid: Vasvi Bharat Ram, Joint Vice Chairman, The Shri Ram Schools
Food, shelter, along with basic safety & security, should be the right of every child. I work in the education and in the development sector, with children of all ages and all segments of society and know how far this is from the ground reality. Every day we hear horrific stories about children being abused, their families being shunned by the communities they live in, instead of being supported. Those of them who are brave enough to fight against the abuser don't know where to go, don't know how to get the right help, don't have the funds to get the right aid, are afraid of how the victim is going to be treated and questioned, and also worried about the days, months and years that they will spend in police stations and courts. I cannot even imagine the despair and helplessness they feel in trying to get legal aid and justice and also mental health support to help pick up their pieces, heal their scars and return to any kind of normalcy. I urge you all to put yourself in the shoes of these victims and their families and come forward to spread awareness and to donate generously towards this cause. Together, let's work towards creating a better, more sensitive, more just, and a safer place for our children.
Ravi Prakash Verma, Former MP Rajya Sabha and National General Secretary, Samajwadi Party joins #Justice4EveryChild Telethon
We have seen that this crisis is severe. We are worried about the increase in cases and the stigma associated with it. The trauma lasts long. I feel that today, accused's childhood was affected in some way because of which he/she is functioning in a particular way. Teachers should work on child psychology and without arguing they should understand that a child is traumatised and then teachers have to bring children out of trauma. I see this as a setback. People are sensitive about children but only about their children.
We have to end the victimisation happening within family and with child: Mr. Satyarthi
General SM Mehta, Former CEO, Hans Foundation on #Justice4EveryChild Telethon
Every individual, every parent, every citizen, responsible citizen has a duty towards this because children are, like I said, they are our future investment and, it should start from home. The parents, first thing which comes to mind is that there should be trust between the parent and the child and there should be a free communication. And the education must start from home at an appropriate date. There is no appropriate age, I would say. And then the children must be taught where to go. There are so many do's and don'ts, which are there, there is so much of literature on that. We must educate our children. So they are so that they are not abused for the fault of nature and the predictors who perpetuate these crimes. And we can do a lot as responsible citizens.
Due to COVID-19, about 350 million children have lost access to their primary source of nutrition through school nutritional programmes, said Karan Singh, Managing Director, Bain and Co. India
Derek O’Brien, Chief National Spokesperson, All India Trinamool Congress joins #Justice4EveryChild Telethon
I don't know whether you could find that videoclip, but I did speak about this in Parliament. It has been perhaps the most difficult speech I have to make in the Parliament, because it wasn't a speech. It was actually sharing my experience as an 11-year-old, when I was sexually abused in a bus in Kolkata. And that, in a way, a fulfilling experience for me because I had obviously discussed it with my family, I discussed this with my parents. But this is the time you come out and say you talk about it in the parliament. Boy oh boy, it was tough. But I am glad that I did it.
Sanmeet Singh Kochhar, Vice President, India & MENA, HMD Global said that it is important to educate children
At HMD global which is the home of Nokia phones, our focus has been on skill education of children especially girl child. The work by Kailash Sathyarthi Children's Foundation (KSCF) is inspiring. It is incredible the way they are transforming lives. We are keen to play an integral part in helping underprivileged children and who have faced sexual abuse. Education has been severely affected due to pandemic. These children become more vulnerable in multiple ways without education. We are donating over 1,740 new Nokia smartphones to KSCF which are expected to benefit over 6,000 children across 7 states.
Child's body, emotions and thought processes need to be understood: Dr Vijay Datta, Principal, Modern School Barakhamba Road, New Delhi
Amod Kanth, Founder, Prayaas, Former Joint Commissioner, Delhi Police, Former Chairperson, Delhi Commission for the Protection of Child Rights speaks at #Justice4EveryChild Telethon
In 2005-07, there was a study conducted on child abuse and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 is a direct outcome of that study. About 18,000 were examined in that study. Every second child reported some kind of sexual abuse under the study. India which is considered a very holy country but the startling result that every child was abused was shocking. We learned that child protection is the biggest issue.
About 32 million children happen to be out of school because they are unprotected. They happen to be children who are in need of care. It is a shame on country. The problem is very huge and the support system that we are getting from the government is very small. We really expect CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) to come forward to support the cause.
"Place children above all because they are our future": Shabana Azmi, Actor and Social Activist on #Justice4EveryChild Telethon
Payal Jangid, Former Bal Pradhan of Hinsla Bal Mitra Gram had raised her voice against being married off at the age 11
Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation's Bal Mitra Gram is an internationally recognised model to prevent child exploitation and abuse
Adi Godrej, Chairman of Godrej Group sends a letter of support for #Justice4EveryChild campaign
Dr Nimesh Desai, Director, Institute of Human Behaviour & Allied Sciences underscores the importance of mental recovery among the child victims and their family members
Mental recovery depends on judicial delivery. But the ground reality is deficient. Psychological recovery is needed for long term affect. For children over 6-8 years one can talk about psychological recovery. For children under 4, family needs support. One cannot do away with what the child and family has gone through. What we can do is reduce the impact. Even psychological counselling and mental support will be dependent on social mileu.
We have failed in justice delivery: Sunitha Krishnan, Co-founder, Prajwala
Justice delivery is at the core of psychology recovery but we have failed in justice delivery. When a child doesn't get justice there is no psychological recovery. We have dealt with more than 230 minor rape victims. More than 89 per cent of the cases are pending from 2015 onwards. Youngest being a 4.5 year old child. Now this 4.5 year child doesn't have closure in life. We have to keep her memory alive. We talk about evidence but ultimately it is the testimony that will convict. We have less than 4 per cent conviction rate. this is how system is failing every child.
#Justice4EveryChild: Campaign Ambassador, Farhan Akhtar feels that awareness is crucial but it is also important people take actions
Ajay Piramal, Chairman, Piramal Group highlighted the importance of education, health and nutrition
I think the media has a very important role to play. I want to build on the point, how do we increase awareness of people on issues like these. We have to note that lack of education in this age group which makes young girls all the more vulnerable to different kinds of exploitation. Girls suffer to prostitution, child trafficking. About 150 million children are out of school and we have to worry about them and almost half of them are below the poverty line.
The Prime Minister had highlighted that 112 are aspirational districts which are far behind. We are worse on every human indicator. We are working in 28 of these aspirational districts. I think it is very important that we focus on education and health and nutrition. That's how we will uplift them and make them more aware. When you talk about culture, the culture will come when we educate both boys and girls and families. That's how we will appreciate and value the power of women.
NR Narayana Murthy, Chairman Emeritus, Infosys on #Justice4EveryChild telethon:
I think this is a nation that has said 'matra devo bhava' about 200 years ago. Somehow we haven't been able to translate that to give respect to our women. Given the statistics, 8.5 years of delay takes place in providing justice with only 34 per cent success rate in conviction. I think these are very serious issues, therefore, I believe every state has to look at these issues and increase the judicial capacity.
'Court cases impact not just the child but the entire family': Uncle of Gudiya, a rape survivor, narrates the trauma that entire family goes through to fight cases of child sexual abuse in courts
They are our children. We hope to strengthen the systems to fight child abuse: Kailash Satyarthi
Sanjiv Bajaj, Chairman and Managing Director, Bajaj Finserv announces a generous donation of Rs. 9 crore
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Bajaj group has been associated with the Satyarthi Children's Foundation since its inception: Sanjiv Bajaj, Chairman and Managing Director, Bajaj Finserv on #Justice4EveryChild Telethon
As a group we have been at the forefront of nation building since the time of my great grandfather Shri Jamna Lal Bajaj. We have supported multiple projects over the years in the areas of education, health, livelihoods and water conservation, to name a few. Welfare and protection of children is a key common feature in many of these projects. Since October 2014 our companies in the Bajaj group have supported free cleft reconstructions surgeries in close to 60,000 children across the country, and this is not only about providing support for the surgery but also for the crucial comprehensive care elements like speech therapy, clef orthodontics, among others. We have also enabled a wide variety of projects that provide vulnerable communities with access to best-in-class treatment for areas like paediatric cancer, paediatric epilepsy, child diabetes, heart ailments, etc. and a large part of this is in various parts of rural India.
Our support to children and shelter programmes will be there. We work with a number of NGOs that provides these child care centers, and this provides vulnerable children with protection, education and also the ability to rebuild their lives.
5-year-old Gudiya, a child survivor, got justice after 7 long years
Campaign Ambassador Farhan Akhtar joins the telethon
Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi on #Justice4EveryChild Telethon: Children who are abused they are India's children and since they are ours, we have to act with urgency and unitedly.
Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi joins the telethon
If there is one crime, one act of violence that stands alone in its inhumanity, it must be sexual violence and rape of children: Dr. Prannoy Roy
#Justice4EveryChild: On a path against child sexual abuse
#Justice4EveryChild telethon gets underway
Less than half an hour to go for the #Justice4EveryChild telethon
'This is a National Emergency,' says Campaign Ambassador Farhan Akhtar, talking about the crisis of children facing sexual abuse and rape
Meet #Justice4EveryChild Campaign Ambassador Farhan Akhtar
Justice For Every Child is a national campaign that will work towards timely justice, mental health support and rehabilitation for child sexual abuse and child rape victims
Here's how the money raised through this campaign will be utilised.
#Justice4EveryChild is year long campaignThe initiative aims to intervene in 5,000 cases of child sexual abuse and rape in 100 Fast Track Special Courts across the country, with the highest backlogs of POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012) cases.
Join NDTV and Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation's special campaign To support child victims of sexual abuse and rape who are fighting their cases in court, NDTV has joined hands with the Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi. Join us in helping these children get timely justice.
13,244 cases of child rape, gang rape and pornography have been reported in just seven months during the COVID-19 pandemic
(Source: National Commission for Protection of Child Rights - NCPCR, 2020)
Only 11% of Nirbhaya Fund (Rs. 252 crore of Rs. 2,264 crore) released to States and Union Territories for victims of sexual abuse and rape was utilized as on November, 2019
(Source: Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1903, Dt. 29.11.2019 analysis by Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation)
At 34.9%, the conviction rate for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) cases is abysmally lowAccording to Crime in India Report, 2019, 1,54,526 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) cases were pending in 2018.
At 88.8% pendency, if no new cases are added after 2019, it will take 8.2 years to dispose current POCSO cases in court.
3 children are raped every hour
(Source: National Crime Records Bureau - NCRB, 2019)