THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health Minister K K Shailaja said the government is mulling strong action against perpetrators of crime against children. “The death of 3.5yr-old child in Ernakulam Rajagiri hospital after allegedly being beaten by her parents, is a very painful incident and strong action will be taken against such convicts. The action will include attachment of lands owned by them.
“The existing law to book child assaulters will be amended in consultation with legal experts, so that such crimes are not repeated,” she said.
Aluva child’s death due to the alleged assault by the parents who are migrant labourers happened even before the people came out of the shock from the death of a 7-yr-old child who was beaten to death by his mother’s lover in Thodupuzha. In both cases the assaulters were persons known to the child. It is high time that society woke up against child abuses, according to the minister

“The State Social Welfare Board had taken over the treatment and protection of the child but the child was too serious to be shifted to another hospital. In spite of sending a team of expert doctors from Kottayam, the child’s life could not be saved.”
“We should unite against child abuse. In most cases the culprits are from their own families. All instances of child assault can be informed through the phone number 1517 under Thanal scheme. After introducing this scheme, 24,000 calls were received, out of which 40 per cent of them were enquiry calls.
Thanal through its effective intervention has brought succour to many children... Hence we shall have to unite so that no more kids undergo such experience” she said.