[Reader-list] paedophilic activities in Goa

Fri Dec 8 09:59:33 IST 2006

Dear Sir/ Madam,

I am a journalist working in Goa. On Thursday, I read
a disturbing report in the "Times of India", an Indian
newspaper, in which Terre des hommes (TDH) child
protection officer Ms. Christa Dammermann and
Ingrid Mendonca, deputy regional co-ordinator TDH
spoke to the media about "paedophilic activities in
Goa" at Pune.(see article Now; paedophilia slur on
Indian tourists ,Offenders In Goa Not Always
Foreigners: NGO 
Times News Network appeared in Times of India, Mumbai
edition, November 30,2006,page 6 (Nation Page)

There are some very disturbing points she has made to
the reporters that needs immediate attention,
especially since you work in Goa. The remarks show how
ignorant the speaker is about the scenario in Goa.

Let me make it clear at the onset that my intention is
not to criticize but only to help you in your task.
After all, you are a funding agency which supports
NGO's working on the issues of children and I am a
journalist who has been reporting on these issues
since last three years.

I must admit that I was shocked to read such
irresponsible quotes from individuals representing a
reputed and committed organisation like yours.

What exactly is my objection?

Christa Dammermann, who is in Pune to attend the
national project partners meeting at YMCA on
chil¬dren's rights said, "I taken aback to discover
that Indian tourists were indulging in child sexual
abuse in Goa. We also found that 60% of the cases
involved perpetrators who were not even 18 years of
age.  She said that this dis¬pelled the notion that
only foreigners who came to Goa indulged in such
acts."

MY OBJECTION: Is there any data to prove this claim?
How can Ms. Dammerman reach such a conclusion? In
three years of my career as journalist I have not come
across a case wherein a domestic tourist has been
arrested for paedophilia. On the contrary three
foreigners were arrested for pedophilic activities by
the police but were later acquitted by the Children's
Court in Goa for lack of evidence.

It is also impertinent to note here that majority of
cases in the Children's Court are about child sexual
abuse and 80 percent of them is not committed by
foreigners or domestic tourists, but by migrant
labourers or known persons.

No one denies the fact that paedophilia is a problem
in Goa, but the extent and magnitude of the problem is
not really known because there is no study in this
regard.

It is sad that without any concrete data to support
the claim, TDH's representative is making such
irrational statements.

Ingrid Mendonca, deputy regional co-ordinator TDH said
that during their re¬cent visit to Goa they found that
Indian tourists were seeking minors when they visited
red light areas there.

MY OBJECTION: There can't be anything more ridiculous
than this. Anyone who has visited and studied Goa
knows that Baina, the unofficial red light area of
Goa, was demolished in 2004. I don't deny the fact
that prostitution still exists in Baina, but to say
that Indian tourists seek minors when they visit the
area is too much of an exaggeration. Besides, if that
was the case then why was not a single customer
seeking minors not arrested. NGO ARZ is working in the
area and must admit that they have done a commendable
job in the area. However, they are also completely
ignorant of such a trend.

Hope you take the letter in the right spirit also
attaching the copy of the article for your reference. 

Thank you

Yours truly,
Preetu Nair

------------------------------------------------

Now; paedophilia slur on Indian tourists 
Offenders In Goa Not Always Foreigners: NGO 
Times News Network
(Article appeared in Times of India, Mumbai edition,
November 30,2006,page 6 (Nation Page)
Pune: Indian tourists have been found to be involved
in child sexual abuse in Goa, ac¬cording to the
non-govern¬mental organisation Terre des hommes (TDH),
Germany.

Addressing a news meet here, Christa Dammermann, child
protection officer of TDH, said she was taken aback to
discover that Indian tourists were indulging in child
sexual abuse in Goa. Christa who is Pune to attend the
national project partners meeting at YMCA on
chil¬dren's rights said, "We also found that 60% of
the cases involved perpetrators who were not even 18
years of age." 

She said that this dis¬pelled the notion that only
foreigners who came to Goa indulged in such acts

Christa called for co-or¬dinated efforts by airlines,
tour operators, media, gov¬ernment, non-governmental
organisations and police to stop abuse of children at
tourist spots.

Ingrid Mendonca, deputy regional co-ordinator TDH,
told TOI that during their re¬cent visit to Goa they
found that Indian tourists were seeking minors when
they visited the red light areas there. The same
holds true at other places of tourist interests where
Indians visiting red light areas sought minors. We
view that as child sexual abuse, she added.

Meanwhile, lamenting inadequacies of laws to prevent
child abuse in the country, participants in the
national project partners meeting called for
sensitisation of government staff, police and all
sections of society to ef¬fectively tackle child
sexual abuse which has emerged as a major concern.

Addressing a news con¬ference on the first day of the
meeting, Bharti Ali, HAQ Centre for Child Rights, said
that child sexual abuse was no longer confined to
underprivileged sections of society and that it
happened even within families and also to boys. "Our
law only recognises rape and there is no law at
present to protect boys from sexual abuse", she said,
adding that sexual abuse in institutions was on the
rise

Santosh Shinde, Cam¬paign Against Child Traf¬ficking,
Maharashtra, said the police needed to be trained in
interrogation of victims of child sexual abuse. "Most
times the cases are dis¬posed of on technical grounds
and not many offi¬cials were aware as to which
sections needed to be men¬tioned in the first
informa¬tion report", he remarked.
He said that there was no safe place for children  be
it home, institution or any other place meant to
provide protection and care.

INNOCENCE LOST
42% of Indian children will experience some form of
sexual abuse before they reach the age of 18
There are 4 lakh child prostitutes in India and every
year lakh children are lured into it
44,000 children are reported missing annually and only
22% get traced
Over 100 m are forced into various forms of labour.

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Preetu Nair 
Senior Reporter 
Gomantak Times 
St.Inez, Panaji 
Goa-403 001 
India
http://goadourada.blogspot.com/

"Freedom of mind is the real freedom. A person whose mind is not free though is not in chains is a slave, not a free man. One whose mind is not free though he may not be in prison is a prisoner and not a free man. One whose mind is not free though alive is better than dead. Freedom of mind is the truth of one's existence."
Babasaheb Ambedkar
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