The child helpline established under Mission Vatsalya is now fully operational in the district, effectively addressing issues concerning children, stated a report in The New Indian Express.
The initiative replaces the previous system that operated under Childline. Officials from the child helpline said people can still access their services by dialling 1098, the contact number used for Childline. Distressed people can also reach the child helpline for assistance by contacting the common emergency support number 112, they said.
“Concerns involving children can be reported via the two numbers at present. Each has its own dedicated control room and the calls can seamlessly be redirected between them. In cases requiring immediate action, the control rooms promptly alert the police. Other cases are directed to respective child helpline offices based on the location of the calls,” said a child helpline official.
The office of the district child helpline, located at the mini civil station in Manjeri, has eight staffers. They included a district coordinator, counsellor and three supervisors and as many case workers. Since its kickstarted operations on August 3, the office has intervened in over 200 cases.
Farisa C, district coordinator of child helpline, said, “We intervened in approximately 160 cases in August and around 60 cases so far this month. Of the total cases, 13 were registered under the POCSO Act.”
Malappuram reported a high number of cases registered under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act in the state this year. With 284 cases until July, Malappuram has the second-highest number of POCSO cases in the state. Thiruvananthapuram is at the top with 331 cases, while Ernakulam is at third place with 280 cases. With 238 cases, Kozhikode is in the fourth place.
Amid the alarmingly high number of POCSO cases in the Malappuram, child helpline authorities said immediate actions are being taken to protect children from abuse in the district. The district child helpline office collaborates with the police department and the district child welfare unit to effectively address issues concerning children, they said.
