Intro:
Child-friendly policing requires empathy, coordination, and strict action against child marriage violations
Chitradurga
Police stations cannot become child-friendly merely through colorful paint or banners, said Dr. K.T. Tippeswamy, Member of the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, emphasizing that genuine sensitivity towards distressed children is essential to reform the system. He was speaking after inaugurating a one-day training programme for SJPU unit officers and staff at the District Panchayat hall in Chitradurga.
The training programme was organized jointly by the Directorate of Child Protection, District Administration, Zilla Panchayat, Police Department, Women and Child Development Department, and the District Child Protection Unit. Sessions focused on the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, POCSO Act, Juvenile Justice Act, and Mission Vatsalya scheme.
Dr. Tippeswamy noted that while uniforms and authority symbolize power in the police department, handling child-related cases requires compassion and humanity above all. The attitude and behavior of officers toward children visiting police stations play a decisive role in delivering justice. He compared child protection to nurturing a sapling with water, manure, and fencing, stressing that coordinated efforts among the Education Department, Women and Child Development Department, and Police are vital to safeguard children’s rights.
Quoting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, he remarked that the success of the Constitution depends on those implementing it. Effective enforcement of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 requires officials to act with empathy rather than mechanical duty. Recalling an incident under the Open House initiative where a child courageously approached authorities to stop her child marriage, he urged police to strengthen their commitment to ensuring justice for every child.
Deputy Director of Women and Child Development K.H. Vijay Kumar revealed that over 3,800 cases of minor pregnancies have been reported in the district in the last five years. However, only 1 to 2 percent resulted in FIRs, and merely 10 percent came to the department’s notice, raising serious concern.
To combat child marriage, the department has surveyed nearly 54,000 girls below 18 years across the district, obtaining written undertakings from parents pledging not to marry their daughters before 18. Awareness drives are being conducted through schools, anganwadi centers, and ASHA workers. Strict legal action has been warned against parents and those assisting illegal marriages.