KOCHI: The High Court on Friday asked what security is there for an orphaned 18-year-old in a place where even four or five-year-old girls have no protection. "How can we leave her in a place the criminals who can't even be called human?", the court asked.

The reference is in the petition filed by a retired government official and his wife who are natives of Thiruvananthapuram to cancel the adoption of a girl who they can't get along with.

The court directed to keep the information in the report prepared and submitted by Thiruvananthapuram District Legal Service Authority after talking to the child confidential. The plea will be heard again next Wednesday.

"Matters such as where to leave a child who is left alone are complicated. You can understand the mentality of a child who came to Kerala without even knowing the language.", the court said. It was also assessed that the child does not feel psychologically distant from the adopters.

A 13-year-old girl was adopted from the Nishkam Sevashram in Ludhiana in 2018 after the 23-year-old only son of the petitioners died in a car accident on January 14, 2017. This was due to delay in adoption from Kerala. The petitioners contend that the child cannot accept them as their parents. The court was approached after the ashram in Ludhiana was not ready to take back the child.