Imphal: Manipur Social Welfare Minister Heikham Dingo Singh on Tuesday appealed to all to cooperate to stop sexual abuses against children in the state.
Speaking during a mass Awareness Rally Against Child Sexual Abuse held at Ima Khunthokhanbi Shanglen, Thangmeiband here, he said cases related to the sexual abuse of children have increased at an alarming rate.
He said more than 150 cases were registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act this year.
Expressing concern over the increasing number of such cases, the Minister said Manipur tops the list in reported cases of sexual abuses against children in the country which is quite unfortunate and therefore all stakeholders including civil societies, women activists, local clubs, and students’ organizations should cooperate to stop such crimes in the state.
Minister further added that a mass awareness program regarding the POCSO Act will be organized in all the districts. This will help in creating awareness among the people and also in stopping crimes, especially sexual abuses against children.
Organizing such rallies will definitely help in spreading messages to the masses, he added.
Reiterating that children are the future of the nation, the Minister said that any inhuman act like sexual abuse should be immediately reported to the concerned so that follow-up actions can be initiated against the culprits.
If proper action has not been taken up in time, it will help in the recurrence of the crime and will also give a huge impact on society, he added.
A mass rally against Child Sexual Abuse was also flagged off in which children from various districts of the state took part.
