Married off at 13, girl delivers girl a year later
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Tirupur:08.02.2019
A 14-year-old girl gave birth to a baby girl at the Tirupur government hospital on Monday raising the possibility of action under the Pocso Act against her 22-year-old husband. Inquiries by the authorities revealed the girl had been married off at 13 to a relative last April.
Officials from the Tirupur district child protection unit and social welfare department have visited the hospital and interviewed the girl, her husband, her parents and her in-laws.
The girl and her child are doing well; the hospital administration has decided to prolong their stay to monitor them.
Child protection unit sources said the girl’s parents who hailed from Madurai migrated to Tirupur district six years ago for work. They went to work in a copra drying unit in Kangeyam while the girl attended a government school nearby.
After she completed Class VIII, the parents pulled the girl out of school and made her work with them in the copra unit.
In April last year, the minor girl was married off to her relative who worked in the same unit. Three months ago, the family and the young couple moved to another copra drying unit in Uthukuli.
“Along with the social welfare department, we conducted an inquiry. The husband may be booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, and Justice Juvenile (Care and Protection of children) Act,” said D Vasanth Kumar, Tirupur district child protection officer.
“We will submit a report on the issue before the child welfare committee, which will take a call on legal procedures and rehabilitation programmes if needed,” he said.
“If the mother and her family are found to be unfit or unwilling to raise the newborn, the baby will be sent to a government-recognized children home,” Vasanth added.
In April last year, the minor girl was married to a 22-year-old relative. The husband is likely to face charges under the Pocso Act, Prohibition of Child marriage Act, and Justice Juvenile (Care and Protection of children) Act
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Tirupur:08.02.2019
A 14-year-old girl gave birth to a baby girl at the Tirupur government hospital on Monday raising the possibility of action under the Pocso Act against her 22-year-old husband. Inquiries by the authorities revealed the girl had been married off at 13 to a relative last April.
Officials from the Tirupur district child protection unit and social welfare department have visited the hospital and interviewed the girl, her husband, her parents and her in-laws.
The girl and her child are doing well; the hospital administration has decided to prolong their stay to monitor them.
Child protection unit sources said the girl’s parents who hailed from Madurai migrated to Tirupur district six years ago for work. They went to work in a copra drying unit in Kangeyam while the girl attended a government school nearby.
After she completed Class VIII, the parents pulled the girl out of school and made her work with them in the copra unit.
In April last year, the minor girl was married off to her relative who worked in the same unit. Three months ago, the family and the young couple moved to another copra drying unit in Uthukuli.
“Along with the social welfare department, we conducted an inquiry. The husband may be booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, and Justice Juvenile (Care and Protection of children) Act,” said D Vasanth Kumar, Tirupur district child protection officer.
“We will submit a report on the issue before the child welfare committee, which will take a call on legal procedures and rehabilitation programmes if needed,” he said.
“If the mother and her family are found to be unfit or unwilling to raise the newborn, the baby will be sent to a government-recognized children home,” Vasanth added.
In April last year, the minor girl was married to a 22-year-old relative. The husband is likely to face charges under the Pocso Act, Prohibition of Child marriage Act, and Justice Juvenile (Care and Protection of children) Act
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