Four children abused in Goa everyday: NGO

Nearly four children are abused everyday in Goa and most of such offences remain unreported, as per an NGO working against child abuse.
"On an average four children are abused in Goa daily. As per government statistics, the number of cases are on the rise," said Ashwini Verenkar, project director of El-Shaddai Charitable trust which runs Panaji-based NGO called SCAN.
The NGO, which has been active in rescuing children in distress, has found that several cases of abuse go unreported and children are abused mostly by the people known to them.
Many of these cases are of mental and physical abuse and emotional neglect, she said.

Based on the data collected from various sources, the NGO has found that the cases of children being abused by elderly persons known to them and incest are on the rise.
"Tourism-related paedophilia is also increasing," Verenkar said.
The NGO has assisted 515 children suffering from abuse in the last half-a-decade and is also working to reform juvenile delinquents, she said.