BJP’s Shaina NC wants men seeking minors for sex booked under strict laws
Shaina NC (File) Shaina NC (File)
Maharashtra BJP leader Shaina NC has started an online petition at “Change.org” demanding arrest “under the strictest of laws” of customers indulging in sex with children. “While Maharashtra has been leading the efforts against human trafficking, arresting these customers under the strictest of laws would be the most crucial element in curbing the demand for children in commercial sex,” Shaina told PTI. The petition, launched last week, has been supported by over 1.1 lakh people.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, the BJP leader said that men who preyed upon children sometimes pay as little as Rs 100 to have sex with a minor. The petition titled “Direct State Police to Arrest Men Who Sexually Exploit Children #AntiChildPredatorSquad” has gone viral on social media and has been supported by all the sections of the society.
The petition asks the Maharashtra Chief Minister to direct the state police, specially Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) working on the rescue and rehabilitation of girls, to make it their mandate to arrest the “child predators”. “We all talk to save our girls, but unfortunately do nothing on the ground. To wipe out chances of sex with children, I have started a petition asking the Maharashtra CM to direct the state police, specially Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) which are pro-actively looking at rescue and rehabilitation of girls, to make it their mandate to arrest these child predators,” Shaina said.
The BJP leader said the campaign was aimed at curbing the demand for children in commercial sex industry and thereby, preventing innocent children from being trafficked to be pushed into the sex trade. “During police raids on brothels, sex workers and brothel managers are arrested while the customers, who are the primary reason for creating the demand for children to be trafficked for sex work, are let off with just a warning, which should be stopped and they be booked under POSCO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act,” Shaina said.
In her petition, Shaina has narrated the story of a 14-year-old girl, who was given hormone injections so that she looks older and was sometimes forced to have sex with 30 men in a day.
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