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. But these are just two in a string of shocking cases over the past few years where teachers have sexually abused their young wards.
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. But criminal investigations aside, there needs to be some introspection about where we are going as a society, as teachers are molesting their students.
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.
