Helplines to call in case of child abuse

A Delhi incident again exposes the plight of child workers. What is the scene in Bengaluru?

A video of a pilot and her husband being thrashed by a mob for allegedly physically abusing their domestic help, a minor, has gone viral on social media. In light of the incident, Metrolife spoke to advocates and police officials to determine the most efficient way to report child labour cases.

With the Child Line set to merge with the national emergency helpline, 112 will soon be the only channel available to report such cases. “We’ve received an email to extend Child Line operations until August 31. Post that, it will be merged with 112,” Nagamani, project coordinator, Child Line (Bengaluru), tells Metrolife. She believes more efforts must be made to publicise the national emergency helpline. “For children and teens in the city, 1098 was the go-to number. Now, they need to be made aware of the new helpline that they’ll need to call,” she adds. Women and child rights advocate Anjali Ramanna advises citizens to stick to the national helpline. “NGOs too end up going to the police. Also, while the NGO contact numbers might change, the national helpline won’t change,” she says. In cases of potential mistreatment, one is advised to approach the nearest police station or call the helpline. “According to section 156 of CrPC, police have the responsibility to stop the possible cognizant offence,” adds Anjali. However, she hopes the government will re-assign the child line number in future. “Dealing with children needs special attention. Having a separate helpline for kids, with trained staff, will be more efficient,” she adds.

Child labour and abuse cases can also be reported to District Child Protection Officers (DCPO). Bengaluru has five zonal District Child Protection Units. However, the contact details of the offices are not available on the official Government of Karnataka website. The website displays a blank screen.

Child labour cases low in B’luru

Bharati Devi, DCPO (central), tells Metrolife the frequency of child labour complaints remains low in the city. “There are labour inspectors who diligently look out for child labour cases in their areas. If a case arises, they take the accused to their own court, and only contact us if the child involved is in need of any rehabilitation or care,” she elaborates.

Child rights, labour and abuse
cases are also handled by the Child Welfare Committee. However, Metrolife couldn’t get in touch with the officials as the new committee members are yet to be recruited.

Cops need sensitisation

Sensitisation training is imperative for police officers, says a senior cop. “If child rights-related calls are coming to 112, officers on the ground and in the control room need special training,” he adds.

What does the law say?

Employment of minors for domestic work is prohibited by law, says advocate Monika H B. “The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act 2016 (Section 2), prohibits employment of children aged 14 and below in any occupation or process. And adolescents (14-18 years), are prohibited from working in
hazardous occupations and processes,” she informs.

Section 14 of the same act also prescribes the punishment. “Whoever employs or permits any child to
work in contravention of the provisions of the act shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term not less than 3 months but may extend to 2 years, or with a fine between Rs 20,000 and Rs 50,000, or both,” she adds.

What happened?

An IndiGo Airlines pilot and her husband were beaten up by an angry mob for alleged physical abuse of a 10-year-old girl working as their domestic help. The video of the incident has gone viral on social media. The incident took place in Dwarka, New Delhi.

Helplines:

National helpline: 112

Child Line: 1098

DCPO (central): 91083 77782

DCPO (north and south): 92439 99734

DCPO (Anekal): 83104 72040

DCPO (east): 99864 97477