MARGAO
Women’s rights activist Auda Viegas has on Wednesday claimed that a Children Welfare Committee has exceeded its powers under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and has violated the Supreme Court directions that a baby cannot be separated from the mother.
In the instant case, Auda alleged that the right of a woman to breastfeed her baby has been grossly violated by the authorities.
Addressing the media, Auda pointed out that the confidentiality and privacy of victims of sexual assault are to be respected, even of women, who are doing commercial sex work.
“Supreme Court has declared that commercial sexual activity as work and when it is clear that a sex worker is an adult under her constitutional right as per Sections 14 and 21 has to be respected. In the instant case, this woman in the first place has been curtailed of her freedom with wrongful confinement in the shelter home without informing the reason,” she said.
Saying the two and half month old baby is now being housed in a children’s home run by an NGO, Auda alleged that the infant has been forced to stay away from mother's milk, adding it is a clear abuse of the right of the baby to the mother's milk.
