Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Paedophilia

Sir, — Apropos your editorial "Combating paedophilia" ( May 15 ), the Goa Government deserves praise for enacting a comprehensive piece of legislation that seeks to put an end to the exploitation of children under 18 years of age.

Of all the crimes committed against children, paedophilia is the worst, as it leaves the abused children physically and mentally battered for the rest of their lives. The number of surveys and data available on the subject suggest that paedophilia is much more common than most people would like to think it is.

A paedophile, usually a male, could be a relative, a neighbour, a teacher or a servant — that is, someone who is close to the family/child and thus has an easy access to the child. And, if the paedophile happens to be from the family, the incident is given a quiet burial.

Even though the law may act as a deterrent against child abuse, it alone may not be sufficient to bring about the desired result, as every case of child abuse may not be taken to court. Hence, the need for educating children at a very early age about possible attempts by paedophiles.

R. Venkatesan Iyengar,

Gulbarga, Karnataka

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