| News, Reports and Articles: 2007: Deported paedophiles on the prowl in India | ||||
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Deported paedophiles on the prowl in India |
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Arun Ram. Chennai Dozens of paedophiles convicted for child sex abuse in the US are on the prowl in India, unmonitored by the law enforecement agencies. This is a time when according to the government's own submission, every second child in the country faces some form of physical, sexual or emotional abuse. Records of the US department of homeland security and the immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) say the US authorities have arrested 9,800 child sex offenders, under a crackdown called 'Operation Predator'. ICE says 85 per cent of those arrested are foreigners - including Indians - who are deported to their respective countries. Once back in India, these paedophiles walk free, as the Indian authorities do not take action against anyone for a crime committed in another country. A New York Post reporter earlier this month said the US authorities would soon deport "26 foreign convicted sexual predators who targeted children as young as three years old." The man who molested the three-year-old in New York is an Indian, and will soon join the ranks of free child predators in India. When contacted by DNA, Joseph P Galoski, deputy ICE attache at the US Embassy in Delhi, did not give the number of Indians deported. He simply said, "Seven Indians are deported under Operatino Predator." While the US authorities prosecute and punish such predator who are natural citiznes of the US, foreigners are simply deported. A US official escorts the convict till his port of entry in his country, and his duty ends after handing over the person to immigration. Studies reveal that people with a history of child sex abuse repeat the crime, and such predators pose a major threat to children in India. "It is a dangerous problem swept under the carpet. The Union home ministry should adopt a policy and issue guidelines to the states to monitor such people," former CBI director RK Raghavan told DNA. A study by the Union ministry of women and child development recently found that nearly 50 per cent of children are abused and both boys and girls are euqally vulnerable. It also found that 70 per cent of children don't report the abuse. Tulir - Centre for the Prevention & Healing of Child Sexual Abuse |
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