After the Curchorem scandal: Young voices on trauma, toxic trends & justice

PANAJI

The peaceful image of South Goa has been shaken this week by the disturbing revelations in the Curchorem sex scandal. What started as scattered reports has now turned into a horrifying story of organised exploitation, where digital blackmail was used to trap and silence victims. This is not just a local crime story; it is a grim reflection of a deeper crisis where smartphones, social media, and the search for digital validation are colliding with predatory behaviour.

The scale of the Curchorem scandal, along with the recent arrest of a 23-year-old Bardez man for allegedly assaulting a 17-year-old girl just 24 hours after meeting her online, points to a frightening trend. From Instagram DMs to Snapchat streaks, the journey from “friend request” to “physical trauma” is becoming dangerously short. As such headlines fill our newspapers, the bigger question is: how prepared are our youth to deal with this reality, and how would they cope if the unthinkable happens?

Dealing with sexual trauma

If a digital interaction turns into a real-world nightmare, how would today’s youth respond? A teenager from Porvorim stresses the need for immediate action: “I would tell someone I trust about what happened and try to seek help from the authorities as soon as possible.”

A higher secondary student adds that the burden should not be carried alone. “My first step would be to report the incident to my guardians. Seeking professional, medical, and therapeutic help is essential to fight against the perpetrators.”

Struggle to open up

However, the emotional weight of such incidents, especially those involving digital blackmail, makes “speaking out” far easier said than done. Riya admits she would not be able to open up immediately. “It would take me a lot of time to process everything. My first instinct might be to keep it to myself. But keeping it inside only makes it worse. With growing awareness about therapy, people are slowly finding the courage to rebuild their sense of safety,” she adds.

Burden of guilt, shame

“Yes, I would feel some type of guilt, the burden of shame, and lots more emotions which would be impossible to describe in mere words,” says Andrea. But she says she would try to look at the bigger picture and would want the person responsible to face justice. No one should be allowed to walk free after committing such a crime. “If, in case the person was still roaming free, I, as a victim, would feel so much more captive and would’ve further locked myself in my room, as the justice system failed me and my innocence,” she adds.

Rosy agrees that sexual trauma should never be “hushed” or kept behind closed doors. “Yes, the person may feel a sense of guilt, shame, and disgust, and so would want to shut themselves off. Give them time to recover on their own. Give them a listening ear. Make them comfortable in their skin. Help them open up about the trauma. As we live in a country that has so many laws and regulations assuring the protection of every citizen, the victim must muster the courage to speak up against the injustice done,” she suggests.

Are ‘Western Trends’ to blame?

Bobby offers a balanced view, saying that global exposure can be both positive and negative. “To some extent, it helps me stay ‘woke’ and understand various lifestyles,” he admits. However, he says that being constantly online requires strong media literacy to avoid falling into traps. “There’s so much happening in our own country that if we’re alert enough, we can see the patterns and trends. As educated individuals, we have to separate these trends—deciding if they are a source of development or a sign of retrogression.”

For Bobby, the issue is not the culture itself, but the way it is followed blindly. “Understanding the context of what we see on our screens is more important than the content itself. We need to be more sensitive and perceptive about what we choose to follow and, more importantly, what we choose to leave behind.”

Hitesh disagrees that Western media influences such actions. He says people in rural villages are also seen committing such crimes and offences. Some may become sexual offenders because of childhood trauma, troubled upbringing, or mental and psychological issues. These should be addressed immediately when recognised, or they can spiral out of control. “Respect and consent are universal values, not cultural ones. Western influence has no role in justifying or causing the disgusting behaviour of abusers. It might influence youth to get involved in sexual activities, but no culture in the world teaches recording that and making it public. It’s totally a sick mentality fuelled by exposure to unrealistic and problematic content, certain unrealistic pornographic content, movies, and social media. Normalizing stalking, catcalling is inappropriate,” he says.

Unpredictable mindset

The mindset of today’s youth can often be unpredictable. “I belong to this generation, but people my age are sane and have a sense of righteousness. It is disturbing to see that those having monstrous and pathetic mentalities coexist. So the question is – what makes them indulge in such heinous crimes? Is it the lack of values (sanskaras)?” asks Drupad.

Victims deserve justice

Nandan, a law student, views the Curchorem case from a legal perspective and highlights the struggle for justice when influential people are involved. “It reminds me of Article 15. So many cases are shut down because of influential relatives. These girls have suffered silently for years; they deserve more than just therapy, they deserve justice.”

He points to a culture heavily shaped by the “male gaze”, from item songs to adult content hidden in plain sight. “Even our laws cannot completely keep someone safe from these horrors if the environment stays the same,” the budding lawyer laments.

(With inputs from Janet Mascarenhas, Kanaka Desai, Katherine Manuel, and Sneha Umarye)