Child porn menace: Police tap NGOs to treat repeat offenders

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police department is in the process of forging an alliance with various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to provide psychological treatment to repeat offenders who watch and circulate child pornographic content. 

NGOs are also expected to provide assistance to traumatised victims. Intensifying its crackdown on such offenders as part of its ‘Operation P-Hunt’, the Counter Child Sexual Exploitation (CCSE) unit of the Kerala Police has arrested around 750 people across the state in various raids so far.

The police arrived at the decision to collaborate with the NGOs after observing that survivors of abuse often suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health issues. According to ADGP Manoj Abraham, who is the nodal officer of CCSE, the department’s collaboration with Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi’s Bachpan Bachao Andolan has almost been finalised. 

“We are preparing the guidelines for collaborating with Bachpan Bachao Andolan. They will provide assistance to the survivor, in addition to helping the prosecution strengthen its case,” the ADGP said. 
In the meantime, separate talks are being held with a few other NGOs who can provide psychological treatment for repeat offenders involved in the matter.

“In many cases, the urge to watch the abuse of a child is irrepressible and need to be treated as a sickness,” Manoj said. “The fear of arrest and legal action deter at least some of them from repeating the crime. But a few others will actually need treatment to get over the habit,” he said. As an official agreement is yet to be reached, the senior officer did not name the organisations that the department was in talks with. However, he assured these were renowned NGOs capable of expertly dealing with the issue.