NGO objects to strangers visiting tortured girl in GMC

NGO objects to strangers visiting tortured girl in GMC
TNN

PANAJI: Stating that the 10-year-old tortured girl, who was working as a maid at Porvorim, is not a show piece', an NGO in Goa has strongly
objected to unknown people visiting the child and asking her to lift her skirt to see the wounds on her body. The NGO has also said that visitors were asking the minor, who is admitted to Goa medical college and hospital with burn injuries, about her past.

Stating that this is proving to be embarrassing for the minor, Audrey Pinto, director of NGO SCAN, who is the complainant in the child abuse case, in a letter to SP (North) said people asked the child to show them her wounds and the child is embarrassed every time she is asked to lift up her dress. The letter was sent on Friday.

"Please look into the matter as this is invading the child's privacy and confidentiality leading to violation of the principal of Goa Children's Act 2000", the letter, which has been written in the best interest of the child' notes.

Citing an incident that happened on Friday, Pinto wrote, "This afternoon 5 persons came to meet the child. They said they had taken permission from the Porvorim police. On inquiring with the constable on duty she said that they were given permission to see the child but could not ask any questions. She said the officer told her it would be ok as she was a victim and not the accused. These persons asked the child to show them the wounds".

When contacted, SP (north) Bosco George said, "We have taken serious note of the matter and given strict instructions to the staff deployed at GMC that no visitor should be allowed to meet the child until there is written clearance from the investigating officer."

The NGO, which in its police complaint last week had said that the three accused -- Audumber (Shubham) Pednekar, Minaxi and his sister-in-law Tina -- had allegedly with a common intention assaulted the minor girl with cable wire and also burned her with a hot steel frying pan on her thighs and back resulting in injuries, had requested the police to stop persons from visiting the victim. Policemen were also placed in GMC with her 24 X7.

However, on interacting with the child, the NGO found that several people had visited her and she was made to show the wound on her thighs to them.

The NGO has also objected to people bringing food for the minor in the hospital stating that "it might be dangerous for her if no proper monitoring is done".

2 August 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition