A significant gap between rescue and prosecution, affecting child victims of crimes

The gap between rescuing child victims and prosecuting offenders is a major obstacle in addressing crimes against children, leading to issues like child labor, trafficking, marriage, and abuse. This was a key topic at the State Level Consultation on ‘Human Trafficking in India: Strengthening Convergence and Prevention Mechanisms’ held in Chennai. The event was organized by Just Rights for Children with the Department of Children Welfare and Special Services and aimed at improving collaboration and prevention strategies against child trafficking and other child-related crimes. Just Rights for Children is the largest network of over 250 NGOs throughout India. In a recent reporting period, the network rescued over 56,000 trafficked children and initiated more than 38,000 legal actions against offenders. In Tamil Nadu, partner NGOs have rescued over 3,500 children from various forms of exploitation and initiated formal action in about 500 cases since 2023. S. Santhana Kuma...