Injured girl does not want to go back to parents

HYDERABAD: A drunk father’s loss of termper resulted in his five-year-old daughter bearing the brunt, receiving a slit on her right eye lid on Monday night. The father is behind bars, following a complaint from the mother. People who know the family, claim that it was not a one off incident.Not just the father, even the mother was fully intoxicated at the time of handing the child over to Childline India Foundation, a child welfare committee.

Acts of violence has been a common place at Laxmaiah’s (names changed to protect identity of the child) house. His neighbour’s in Parvath Nagar, however, feels that his latest act will haunt the young girl for the rest of her life. The father and mother, both of whom who get intoxicated beyond limits, made the child vulnerable to verbal abuse quite frequently and exposed her to their violent acts, they say. “Quarrels among them is not something new. They frequently abuse and fight among themselves. In fact, the last time when they had a quarrel, I was the one to intervene,” said a local. She said that the couple had lost their son earlier in an accident and the girl was the younger one. The child who is presently under the care of Sishu Vihar, a centre supported by Women Development and Child Welfare Department, is set to undergo a minor surgery within two days.

“It was a narrow escape for the child as the blade inflicted the eye lid and not the cornea,” said B Sujani, In charge, Sishu Vihar. “Though the girl is brave in bearing the pain, she is afraid to go back home. The chances are high that she will forget about this incident but there are chances that the memory can have serious psychological impact,” she added.