CRY condemns tutor brutality on Kolkata child

The statement said that CRY beliefs that children, though different from adults, have an equal right to be treated with dignity and respect.

“Any action violating this and humiliating a child is by all means a clear violation of children’s fundamental right to live with dignity,” said Atindranath Das, CRY regional director (East).

He said often corporal punishments are used as a tool to ‘discipline’ a child not only in schools but in families and the state-run juvenile homes as well.

“These are most likely to have a cascading effect on child’s physical, behavioral and emotional health,” Das said.

CRY considers corporal punishment as a failure of the adult to engage and communicate with the child.

“The child is never the reason for any adult action of this sort. He or she does not deserve any corporal punishment. There is no scope for acceptance of corporal punishment for children as a tool to discipline them,” he said.

Under the Indian law, corporal punishment is unlawful only in schools. When the same abuse takes place at home, there is still lack of clarity. There is certainly a need to have a closer look at what happens at domestic sphere, the press communiqué said.

“It is important for policy makers to expand the discourse around corporal punishment in domestic space," he said.

Meanwhile, the accused tutor is still on the run since Tuesday when the incident took place at Lake Town area in Kolkata. A CCTV footage showed Singh brutally beating up a three and half-year-old child inside a locked room.

The tutor was seen hitting the child by kicking repeatedly in the footage which was captured by security cameras installed in the apartment.