Expressing concern over the high number of child abuse cases in the country, DMK leader Tiruchi Siva on Tuesday stressed that regular workshop should be organised in schools to create awareness among students as well as teachers.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Siva said that according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) Report, between 2018 and 2020, around 40,000 cases have been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

“These are registered cases, and there are many unregistered cases as well. The number declined in 2020 during the Covid period, but now, it has started rising again,” he said.

“Children are very vulnerable in our society and this sort of sexual abuse against them impacts them very much physically and mentally and sometimes leads to traumatic memories which the children may carry throughout their lives,” Siva said.

Citing a survey, he said a majority of the Indian schools either do not have a mechanism for dealing with such situations, or if they do, a significant majority of the students are not aware of the Act at all.

“So, this is a very serious issue and the absence of mechanism has to be addressed very seriously… There is a need for immediate intervention to make it mandatory for every school that regular workshops are held for both, students and teachers, and awareness must be created,” he said.

Several MPs from other parties associated themselves with the issue.

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