The recent arrest of a physical education teacher from Tuem, on charges of sexually molesting a schoolgirl is alarming since there was a similar incident just two days
ago in Shirgao. The police have acted quickly, arresting the alleged perpetrators and working hard to investigate these cases quickly. Such swift action will not only instill a sense of confidence among parents that justice will be done swiftly, but also
enable victims to move on.
Interestingly, a number of cases have involved a physical education teacher. While this cannot certainly cast a shadow on the profession, there will be questions asked about the closeness
of these teachers to their students. However, care must
also be taken to ensure that these teachers have actually committed
the crime. There have been two incidents, one in Shiroda
and the other in Siolim, where it was found that the cases
filed against teachers were based on malicious intent and had
resulted from personal issues with the teacher. In Siolim, the
entire faculty and the school management, including many
students and parents, banded together to protect the teacher.
But, the bottomline should be the speedy investigation and
incarceration of the perpetrators. Teachers molesting their
students cannot become a trend in Goa.
