'2 persons misbehaved with me when I was just six': Collector in Kerala's Pathanamthitta recalls her ordeal

Pathanamthitta: Collector Divya S Iyer of Pathanamthitta, Kerala on Wednesday revealed that two people misbehaved had with her when she was studying in class one. During a training program organized by the Child Protection Department for media workers, the Collector spoke about the violence she faced when she was six years old. 

"Two men called me affectionately and pulled me close, touched my body; I don't remember who they were now," said the collector.

The Collector spoke about the bad experience while inaugurating a training program conducted by the District Child Protection Unit to sensitize media workers on the things to be observed while reporting news related to children who are victims of sexual violence. 

"I couldn't understand why they were touching or being affectionate. I felt bad when they tried to undress me," she said. 

The collector also revealed that she quickly escaped when she realized something unusual was happening. "However, most children don't understand what has to be done in such cases as I did."

Iyer said, "I was able to escape from that trauma due to the mental support given by my parents.  We should teach our children what is 'good touch' and 'bad touch' for girls and boys. These kinds of traumas to young children can haunt them for the rest of their lives. Society generally thinks that male sexuality is right and female sexuality is wrong. Such thoughts must change. Girls still lack a public space to talk about their bodies and sexuality. Children need parental support to overcome crises."

The collector also said that parents and teachers should tell about the violence that children may face.

Collector Divya S. Iyer said that everyone should take care not to push the children into mental trauma at the age when they should fly high to explore the world.

• Kerala
• Pathanamthitta
• sexual harassment
• crime