Child activists flayed over Scarlett case

Child activists flayed over Scarlett case
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: Drawing similarities between the Freddy Peats case and the alleged rape and murder of Scarlett Keeling in Goa, noted child activist Sheela Barse, said that in both cases the “so-called” child activists in Goa have remained silent, even as the victim was being victimized.
“Scarlett’s image was tarnished, but what had she done to deserve such a treatment. How can the child right’s activists allow such allegations to be made about the minor girl, when she is not around to defend herself. Don’t we have some concept of respecting the victim,” said Barse. She was in Goa to speak at a workshop on “Caring for the mentally challenged” at Goa University on Friday.
Scarlett was found dead under mysterious circumstances on Anjuna beach on February 18. First the Goa police dismissed it as drowning death, but later registered a case of rape and murder. However, as her mother Fiona Mackeown’s cry for justice grew louder, the allegations of Scarlett leading an easy life of men, booze and drugs spread like wildfire. However, throughout the whole episode, the child activists in Goa maintained complete silence.
Barse, who almost single handedly ensured justice for the abused children by getting paedophile Freddy Peats convicted, recollected that even when Peats case exposed the paedophile racket in Goa, many including some activists, tried to indulge in character assasination of the minor victims.
“To minimize the extent of crime, the accused pass the blame on the victim to restrict public outcry. Maligning Scarlett by stating that she had an easy lifestyle on the basis of what witnesses are saying is not correct. A minor child has been raped and murdered and how can the child activists remain silent on the issue,” questioned Barse.
“The situation is no different from what happened in 1991, when it was alleged that the minor boys who were exploited by Peats had become dull as they didn’t have the excitement of sexual experience anymore,” she said, blaming the “so-called” children’s activists in Goa for failing to get any paedophile convicted in the state. The only paedophile to be convicted in the state was Peats, while many others managed to escape scot-free due to lack of evidence or with witnesses turning hostile.
But then how many today have the conviction and commitment of Barse? Afterall, she is the woman, who on seeing the Peats’ case falter, had got the original chargesheet withdrawn and filed a fresh chargesheet in the case. “The greatest contradiction that I see amongst present group of child activists is that when a prostitute alleges rape, they stand up and state that her being a prostitute doesn’t mean that anyone can rape her without consent but they are silent when an ordinary minor is raped and murdered”.
She added, “Background of the person is irrelevant to the crime. Every child has their rights and the child activists need to ensure that their rights are protected”.

2008 May 19 Times Of India Goa