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Tortured child critical, Kerala mulls law to check atrocities

Kashmir Times. Dated: 7/18/2013 12:27:44 AM

THIRUVANANTHAPURA, July 17 (Agencies): The condition of a five-year-old child, brutally tortured by his father and stepmother, continued to be critical even as the duo was arrested today on charges of attempted murder.
Taking a serious note of the incident, the Kerala government formed an official panel to draw up guidelines to ensure children's safety and said, if necessary, a separate law to check recurrence of such crimes would be made.
According to doctors at St John's Hospital at Kattappana in Idukki district, the child was on the ventilator support as he had suffered serious head injury, a broken leg and had wounds all over the body.
The boy's father Sherif and stepmother Aneesha were arrested and produced before a court in Peermedu in Idukki which remanded them in 14 days judicial custody, police said.
The couple, who brought the child to the hospital a few days ago in a serious condition, had initially said the injuries were the result of a fall suffered by the child while taking a bath. But doctors, who examined the child, immediately ruled that out and informed the police of the incident.
Apart from being brutally beaten up causing deep injuries on the head and chin, the child's body was found to have been scoured by nails.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy instructed the district authorities and doctors to extend all possible help to save the life of the hapless child.
The case was discussed at the state cabinet meeting and it was decided to draw up a set of guidelines for the safety of children to avoid this kind of brutalities on them.
"This is an extremely cruel incident. This is difficult for a civilised society to tolerate this kind of atrocities on children," Chandy told reporters in the state capital.
He said a committee headed by the state Additional Chief Secretary had been constituted to draw up the guidelines for tackling the cases of domestic violence against children.
If necessary, the government would bring in a legislation based on the report of the panel, Chandy added.