PANAJI
The Catholic Association of Goa (CAG) has strongly condemned the sexual assaults on two four-year-old girls in Mapusa on Sunday and Canacona on Tuesday evening.
Expressing solidarity with the victims and their families, CAG President Cyril Fernandes said children who should be safe in their mothers’ arms had instead suffered unimaginable cruelty.
A resolution condemning the crimes was passed at the CAG Executive Committee’s monthly meeting. The association urged the government to prioritise child safety, strengthen policing and ensure swift justice. “These are not isolated tragedies but symptoms of a deeper rot. Goa’s social standards are declining and the law-and-order situation is increasingly alarming. A society unable to protect its most vulnerable children is regressing,” Fernandes said, warning against Goa becoming the rape capital of India.
Holding the government accountable for repeated crimes against women and children, CAG demanded stricter patrolling, fast-track trials and zero tolerance for offenders, stating that mere assurances were no longer enough.
It also urged civil society, including parents, neighbours, institutions and community leaders, to break its silence, which it said emboldened predators.
CAG called on the government to ensure the culprits are arrested and punished to the fullest extent of the law, and urged Goans to unite in demanding justice and safety for children.
