Rising trend in violence against children

Despite lofty rhetoric regarding our commitment to the protection of the 'future of our nation' the reality of the state of our children is grim if not macabre. In the last four months 95 children have been killed and 138 minor girls raped in the country according to Shishu Addhikar Forum, a national network of NGOs working on child rights. The grisly reports of child workers being tortured to death for trivial mistakes or for no reason at all, of children being murdered by close relatives, even mothers, of school children being abducted for ransom, trafficking or to be raped and then killed – all these horrible stories point out to a frightening malaise in our society. 

We must ask why, in a democratic country that is signatory to international conventions to protect the rights of the child, is there such a dramatic rise in violence against our most precious members of our society? A primary reason is lack of access to justice, especially since most child victims are from less privileged backgrounds. Representatives of the Forum have said that the delay in trial of the perpetrators has contributed to the rising trend.

Between 2014 and 2015, 642 children have been killed according to a report in this daily. We do not know what the death toll will be like this year. In the case of Rajon and Rakib, two adolescents who were victims of sick perverts, the government has laudably initiated speedy trials and convicted the killers. Speedy trials and a separate child rights commission are essential to send a strong message to society – that no one will get away after inflicting violence on a child. All grownups of this society must work together to stop this shameful, horrific trend.