Rescue of a Mentally
Retarded Girl
Arz came to know through its sources of a girl who
was mentally retarded and was being commercially sexually exploited
by a perpetrator. Arz was asked to submit a written complaint
by the Magistrate informing him about this girl as her family
had abandoned her and she did not wish to keep any contact with
them. On the basis of this complaint the Magistrate ordered the
police to rescue the girl and arrest the perpetrator. She was
then referred to the State Protective Home in Goa after conducting
an enquiry for shelter and psychiatric treatment. Now she is in
the State Protective Home and away from exploitation. She is provided
shelter and care by the Women & Child Department and counseling
services by the Arz staff.
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Arz works intensively with victims of sexual abuse and commercial
sexual exploitation to combat trafficking. Arz looks into issues of rehabilitation,
rescue,protection, protection, health, repatriation, after care and prosecution
of traffickers. The services are performed primarily in the areas of Margao,
Colva, Bicholim and Panjim due to the high rate of trafficking at these
destinations.
Arz after the completion of 10 years of working on combating
human trafficking in Goa, has this year been able to prevent new entry
of girls and women in Baina for the purpose of Commercial Sexual Exploitation
(CSE). The initiative of starting economic rehabilitation has provided
alternative livelihood options for the women and girls who were being
commercially sexually exploited as well as those who were vulnerable to
being exploited.
After Care
After the victim is rescued from commercial sexual exploitation or while
she is in state protective home, the process of after-care begins. After
care is one of the important areas of intervention primarily to prevent
re-trafficking of victims. In after care girls are helped to plan and
decide her future. The girls are provided necessary guidance and counseling
at each stage of decision. In the process, various rehabilitative alternatives
are identified and discussed with the victim girl. Throughout this entire
practice, network of organizations dealing in rehabilitation are identified
and communicated to the trafficked victim. The girl is assisted in deciding
the place, which is safe and provides a good rehabilitation.
Repatriation
Arz has enabled the Women and Child Welfare Department to create a system
whereby when a victim of trafficking is being repatriated to her home
state she is sent along with a staff of Women & Child Department,
a lady police constables and a social worker also accompanies the victim
to her native state so as to prevent any traumatic experience during her
repatriation. Arz this year along with the staff of the Women and Child
Welfare Department and Goa Police repatriated a total of 7 victims to
their native state and linked them with the rehabilitation services or
family in their native state.
Prosecution
Arz believes that all the persons who are responsible for commercial
sexual exploitation or sexual abuse need to be prosecuted. Arz has followed
up the cases relating to commercial sexual exploitation, rape, child labour
and domestic violence. A follow up is done by meeting the public prosecutor,
preparing the witness to give proper depositions, accompanying the witness
to the court and providing assistance to the aggrieved party in filing
domestic violence cases, among other services.
Rescue
- A lady who was mentally retarded and being commercially sexually
exploited by a pimp was rescused. A case was filed with the magistrate
against the pimp.
- A minor girl was brought to Baina and was kept with a brothel keeper.
The girl was pregnant and needed shelter and support. She was produced
before the magistrate and sent to the State Protective Home.
- A young girl was rescued from child labour.
- A minor orphan girl was rescued from the custody of a pimp.
Training
Arz organizes a series of sensitization cum awareness programmes. In
these programmes, the main emphasis is on the situation of victims of
trafficking and those vulnerable to trafficking for the purpose of sexual
abuse and commercial sexual exploitation. The participants are college
students, organizations from different parts of Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Reading material in the form of pamphlets and leaflets are provided to
the participants. The meetings and training programmes are held with government
officials, police officials regarding situation of women and girls, in
organized trafficking for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation
in Goa, the importance of psycho social rehabilitation of trafficked victims,
understanding the mind of the survivor and their behavioural patterns,
laws related to trafficking/prostitution e.g. Immoral Traffic Prevention
Act, Goa Children’s Act, Juvenile Justice Act, Domestic Violence
Act etc.
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