Mumbai:
The case of the 12-year-old girl from Saki Naka, who was allegedly raped by nine men, is not an isolated one. The city is witnessing a rising trend in rapes of minors.
Statistics compiled by the Mumbai police for the period between January 2009 and February 2010 reveal that rape cases of minors far outnumber those of rapes committed on women.
In January and February this year, 25 cases of rapes of minors were registered as against 11 cases of rape on women. Last year, among the 182 rape cases registered in the city, 128 were cases of sexual abuse of girls below the age of 18, according to data available with the Mumbai police.
"Rapes of minors are on the rise, and it is a serious matter that haunts society," said a high-rung police officer, adding that he would not divulge further details till he studied the report.
The trend is indeed disturbing, but psychologists say that child abuse has always been widespread but reluctantly reported due to societal pressures.
"The number of sexual abuse cases among children has always been high since kids are a vulnerable lot," says Dr Harish Shettty, a psychiatrist. "Though many cases still go unreported, more children and their families now come out in the open and talk about it due to a steady change in mindset."
Added psychiatrist Dr Anjali Chhabria, "What's worse is that in most rape cases, the accused are family members or neighbours. A 'known' victim is the easiest target."
And the problem at hand is not the rising number of rapes on minors alone. A bigger concern is the mental health of these victims. Dilip Dholakia (28) (name changed), father of the two-and-half year old girl who was raped on Holi said, "My daughter wakes up crying in the middle of the night, sometimes in a lot of pain.
Moreover, the accused who is a neighbour was set free after detention. I fear for my daughter's safety. Four rape cases have been reported in Nehru Nagar in the past two months, but not much has been done by the police."
So how do we put a stop to this growing menace? According to Chhabaria, unless sex education is imparted to children from the time they turn three, this will continue.
Arundhati Chavan, president of the Parent-Teachers' Association's United Forum, said, "We wanted to start sex education for older students a few years back. But if if minors are so vulnerable to rape, they should be taught how to differentiate between the good touch and the bad touch.