On the heels of Germany asking its citizens to come forward and seek treatment in case they are physically attracted to children, city psychiatrists feel a similar mechanism, coupled with heightened awareness programme in the state, will help reduce child sexual abuse cases.
As per Mumbai police data there has been a rise in child sexual abuse cases in the city in past five years. In 2010, 140 child sexual abuse cases were reported. In 2014, Mumbai police registered 350 cases.
While experts say that the rise in numbers can also be attributed to better awareness among parents who are more forthcoming about child sexual abuse with the police, they say encouraging paedophiles to come forward for counselling and treatment is the need of the hour.
Dr Yusuf Matcheswalla, a psychiatrist attached with Masina hospital, who is presently treating four paedophiles said that the patients are scared to reveal about them being paedophiles and come forward for treatment only when they fall in trouble. "Paedophilia is treatable but there is no awareness on the same. It is unfortunate that the patients come forward for treatment or brought by their family for treatment only when they fall in trouble," he said.
Welcoming the move in Germany, Dr Heena Merchant, secretary of Bombay Psychiatric Society (BPS), said that this will reduce child sexual abuse cases. "In India, paedophiles are scared to come out and accept their status because of social taboo. According to American Psychiatric Association guidelines, paedophilia is classified under sexual perversion in which the adult or the perpetrator basically derives sexual gratification by indulging in sexual activity with children," said Dr Merchant.
Dr Harish Shetty, psychiatrist at Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital-Powai, said: "Paedophilia is common psychiatric illness. Child sexual abuse victim can be a boy or a girl. While we have a strict POSCO act in place that can act as a deterrent factor and there is awareness among parents on the same, encouraging paedophiles for treatment is also equally important. Preventive measures are imperative in order to really protect the child from abuse."
He said that encouraging paedophiles to undergo treatment is an important preventive measure. "Accepting that the person is paedophile and coming forward for treatment is very important," said Dr Shetty.
Child sexual abuse cases
Year Reported Detected
2014 350 320
2013 241 229
2012 146 139
2011 139 137
2010 140 133
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