If numbers are to be believed, about eight cases of child abuse are reported everyday in India. The conviction rate is a dismal 2.4 percent. Child activists from Coimbatore reveal that a majority of cases of child abuse go unreported in the city. Reasons include lack of awareness, social stigma, and negligence. The month of April is observed as child abuse prevention month.

The first step in preventing child abuse is sensitizing children, especially the girl child, about abuse. Several NGOs and social service organizations are now working towards spreading awareness among children about what abuse is.

Last year, Young Indians (Yi) launched their nationwide campaign called Project Masoom. The project was implemented in Coimbatore too. Members of Yi Coimbatore Chapter stated that they targeted the children in government and corporation schools and made them aware of child sexual abuse.

“Project Masoom was initiated in June and, through this, we covered 10,000 students in 80 schools in the district. A majority of children do not understand and realize that they are being sexually abused. Awareness about this is the need of the hour,” says Aparna M.A., project coordinator of Project Masoom.

Several cases of child abuse continue to go unreported in Coimbatore. Dr. Edwin Joe shares that girls from rural backgrounds are more vulnerable to sexual abuse. Agreeing with him is Aparna who adds, “In many homes, both the parents have to work in order to support their families. While the parents are away, the children and left alone at home. We have come across instances where the relatives of the girl child are involved in sexual abuse,” Aparna says.

Medical evidence cannot prove sexual abuse. Medical examination can prove if the girl was involved in sexual activity of any kind. “Sexual abuse is not a disease that can be diagnosed. It is an offence that has to be proved,” Dr. Joe says.

A statement released by Louis-Georges Arsenault, the UNICEF representative to India, says, “It is alarming that many of these cases involve children. One in three rape victims is a child. More than 7,200 children, including infants, are raped every year; experts believe that many more cases go unreported. Given the stigma attached to rapes, especially when it comes to children, this is most likely only the tip of the iceberg.”

According to a data that was released by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the highest number of FIRs for child sexual abuse have been registered in Rajasthan, followed by Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Kerala.