Say hoteliers must be held accountable for such crimes on premises
PANAJI
The alleged rape of underage girls in a Calangute hotel has triggered calls for immediate and uncompromising action from child rights activists including the Victims Assistance Unit, which collaborates closely with the government on child protection issues.
VAU head Emidio Pinho has written to Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte and North Goa Superintendent of Police Rahul Gupta seeking urgent intervention against hotel owners for facilitating such crimes.
Two sisters, aged 13, and 15 were allegedly sexually assaulted in the hotel rooms by the two adult men – now arrested. They were accompanied by their friend, aged 11 years. As per police details, the girls were reportedly brought to the premises and given access to rooms where the sisters were raped. A similar incident occurred at a Porvorim hotel, where one of the girls was again subjected to sexual abuse.
Quoting Section 8(10) of the Goa Children’s Act, 2003, the VAU reminded authorities that hotels are legally obligated to ensure the safety of children within their premises and can be held criminally liable for any failure to prevent abuse.
“We have come across many such cases wherein children were abused in hotels, as these hotels are providing access to rooms or premises where adults are engaging in activities that involve the abuse and exploitation of children,” the letter stated.
The Act stipulates that children must not be allowed into rooms unless they are registered with family or blood relatives. The law also imposes a duty on hotels to block access to harmful internet content and prohibits unsupervised exposure to objectionable material.
The statute holds hotel owners and managers “solely responsible” for any violations and prescribes up to three years imprisonment and Rs 1 lakh fine for non-compliance.
Former Chairperson of the Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Peter Borges slammed the systemic failure alleging that although hotels are legally bound to prevent any form of child exploitation, the enforcement is missing. “This isn’t just about the accused, it’s about an entire system turning a blind eye. We need urgent crackdowns, routine inspections, and zero tolerance for such crimes in Goa’s hospitality sector,” he said.
He warned that hotels should not allow entry to children accompanied by strangers under any circumstances.
Pinho demanded a crackdown, listing specific measures including mandatory awareness campaigns in the hotel industry, compulsory display of child safety posters, closure of establishments linked to child exploitation and stringent action against owners and facilitators.
