Almost unimaginable! A six-year old little boy is suspected to have touched his little classmate?s private parts during the break. The investigation will help the police shed some light on what looks like a bad movie. However, reality is striking. ?This is not a new phenomenon. Such incidents have always happened in schools; the difference is that the stories now come to light,? warns Roseline, a head teacher in a school of the capital. It would however be difficult to state the number of such abuses because many of them are not reported to the police.

Living in close quarters is considered to be a
reason for such abnormal reactions. It is not unusual that children innocently tell their teachers that they saw their parents ?do like that at home?.

Can the law punish six-year olds for such behaviour? Who is responsible for such attitudes? Is it the children themselves? In fact, it may be a good sign that such incidents are now being talked about. As Roseline points out: ?If we want to prevent something from happening, it is better to talk about it.?

For her, children are too exposed to such behaviour ?through television, books and within families?.

Living in very close quarters is indeed considered to be one of the reasons for such ?abnormal? reactions from children. Poverty is pointed at as the main factor leading to it. ?When the whole family is living in one single room altogether, children see things whether parents admit it or not,? says Roseline. Sometimes, they are not responsible for their misery but they become the cause of strange reactions from their children. It is indeed not unusual that children innocently say that they saw their parents ?do like that at home? and wanted to ?act similarly?.

According to the Ombudsperson for Children, Shirin Aumeeruddy-Cziffra, referring to research at international level, ?it is clear that most youngsters who engage in sexual activity at a tender age are themselves victims of sexual or other forms of abuse?. But she acknowledges that promiscuity is another risk factor.

Section 44 of the Criminal Code is clear about it. ?Where an accused person is under the age of 14 and it is determined that he acted without discernment, he shall be acquitted, but shall, according to the circumstances of his case, be handed over to his relations or placed in a reformatory to be brought up and detained during such number of years as the sentence may determine, which period shall in no case exceed the period at which the accused has reached the age of 18.? It is only if it is proved that the minor ?acted with discernment that he shall be condemned to imprisonment in a reformatory for such time as shall be determined by the sentence,? according to Section 45 of the Criminal Code.

In the concerned case, it appears that the child, if proved guilty, will be put under his parents? responsibility. If the latter can?t cope with the situation, the state will then become responsible for taking appropriate action ? be placed in a reformatory for instance.

The Child Protection Unit of the ministry of Women is responsible for dealing with such cases and providing necessary follow-up.

Psychologists from the ministry of Women?s affairs are also supposed to be available if the school calls upon them. But it appears that it is not always the case. ?Much is being said about the possibilities schools may have to call upon a psychologist. But reality is different. I called the ministry on three occasions to have a psychologist come at the school but they have not even reverted to me. We should not mist over the fact that there is one psychologist for four or five schools. They can?t deal with all the cases,? says a teacher. And the more a situation is left dragging, the more it worsens.

Among the 10% cases of sexual abuse tackled by the Ombudsperson office, there are a number of cases where the perpetrator is a minor. ?This is why, among my proposals to the Select Committee on the Sexual Offences Bill, I will draw the attention on the fact that it is not only important to think in terms of victims but we should also pay special attention to the perpetrators particularly when the latter are minors,? Shirin Aumeeruddy-Cziffra highlights. ?Providing a therapy to the perpetrators is highly necessary as well.?

However, the Ombudsperson for Children also points out. ?It is however important to know that extremely young children ?play doctor? that is touch each other absolutely innocently and it is important that the authorities also take this into consideration when they deal with such matters.?