PANAJI
Taking cognisance and documenting cases of infants being abandoned in the State, the Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has issued an advisory, including putting up cradles and signages to cradles at primary health centres, hospitals (govt and private) and nursing homes, for the safe surrender of "unwanted newborns".
GSCPCR chairperson Peter Borges has listed out in the advisory dozens of do's and don'ts mainly for the police, directorate of health services (DHS) and the Directorate of Women and Child Development (DWCD), including long-term measures to eliminate gender bias citing the fact that majority of abandoned infants documented over the last five years in Goa were females.
"In recognizing the long term and continuing impact, as well as the need for greater preparedness and action by all stakeholders for protection of abandoned infants, the Commission is issuing the 'Advisory for Safe Surrender in Context of Infant Abandonment Cases' in Goa,” Borges said even as the Commission has documented 11 cases of infants being abandoned in Goa since 2017.
The most recent case of a new-born baby girl found abandoned in a field behind the Our Lady of Merces Chapel at Vaddem, Vasco is among the 11 cases documented by the Commission.
In his covering letter to heads of the three departments -- DHS, DWCD and the Goa Police -- Borges also said that the advisory is on par with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and needs to be read and implemented in conjunction with the law.
Borges has also requested the heads of the three departments to revert with an Action Taken Report (ATR) within four weeks, including in the ATR specific measures taken and implemented.
In the advisory, DWCD has been asked to ensure Goa's two specialized adoption agencies -- Matruchaaya and Caritas Goa -- have their own home cradle to receive abandoned children.
The DWCD is also mandated to ensure aganwadi staff are exposed to sensitization and awareness programmes and capacities built in them to to educate and sensitize parents so as to reduce stigma around abandonment.
The advisory also advocates submitting annual action plans of the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' campaign as it aims to end gender bias and ensure survival of girl child.
As for the DHS, the advisory recommends cradles and signage to cradles be put up at primary health centres, hospitals (government and private), nursing homes, etc to receive new-borns who are unwanted and subsequently put them in child protection system for legal adoption.
As for the police, the advisory draws the attention of the men-in-uniform that the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children). Act, 2015 which has overriding effect on other laws, provides that no FIR shall be registered against any biological parents during the inquiry process in cases of abandoned/ surrendered children (section 75).
"It is recommended that this, section 75 be examined and included in the Standing Order No. 15/2022 “ Role of Police Officials in Dealing with Children in Need of Care and Protection and special training be provided to Juvenile Welfare Police Officers of all police stations in Goa," the advisory states.
