A crestfallen event transpired on a little boy outrage his parents into filing a complaint against the boy’s daycare centre caretaker- Halpati. There are hundreds of cases reported on and again where young boys and girls have suffered harassment from their caretakers, teachers, professors and babysitters.
Caretakers and maids often seek revenge through young children or even threaten and use them. Bummer situations have never stopped happening, there are incidents such as teachers or caretakers abusing, molesting and beating children. In some cases, adults are also a victim to the caretakers and maids’ harassment through assaults, robbery and false accusations.
A similar horrendous incident came to light when a young nine-year-old-boy revealed to his parents the ill-treatment suffered at the daycare centre ‘Myra’ in Chicalim. According to reports, the daycare centre has around 15 children and this particular young boy is one of them. Since his parents are working they often leave him at the daycare centre. It was known that the boy was very naughty, but does the caretaker have the authority to hit the child?
The parents filed a complaint at the Vasco police station on finding the burnt marks on the boy’s hands. Apparently, Halpati the caretaker at ‘Myra’ used a spatula to hit him causing the marks. On first glance at the wounds, the boy blamed a Two-and-a-half-year-old for it, but soon it was known that Halpati was the reason behind the marks. It seems that since the child was very naughty, he faced such circumstances.
TOI states that the mother is employed at a hospital while the father is a teacher in an institute at Porvorim.
The parents were noted to be disappointed at the sedate action taken by the police especially because Halpati had threatened the boy to avoid telling his parents about the assault. According to Nyooz, complaints state, “The accused had threatened the victim not to disclose the injury to his parents”.
This ongoing nuisance has made many children sit quiet and suffer. In the past years, complaints were filed against the ‘Apana Ghar’ caretakers for irresponsibility. Reports from Herald say that in the past decade an inquiry conducted by Juvenile Justice Board, two inmates of Apna Ghar were found to be assaulted by caretakers.
In the year 2013, a school caretaker had been arrested for sexually assaulting a kindergarten student. As per Business Standard, the teacher used to fondle three-year-olds private parts.
In this particular 9-year-old-boy case, the boy’s parents stated to TOI, “We are very unhappy over how the police have reacted. Not only did they delay in registering the case, but also her arrest, giving her time to move for anticipatory bail.”
Currently the police have informed that the offence has been registered under Section 324 of IPC and 8 of Goa Children’s Act. Also, the fact that such things should be taken on a serious note have been requested by the boy’s parents. This will avoid further situations that other children might face.
