5 yr old Child's private parts burnt with hot spatula for bedwetting, stepmother held in Kerala

A five‑year‑old girl was allegedly tortured by her stepmother , who reportedly burned the child’s private parts with a hot steel spatula as punishment for bedwetting, police said on Friday. The incident came to light when the child’s Anganwadi teacher noticed her struggling to sit in class and alerted authorities. The stepmother has been arrested and remanded to judicial custody, while the girl is under the care of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) .

This horrifying episode is not an isolated case but a disturbing reflection of a wider crisis of violence against children in India . According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, India recorded over 1.77 lakh cases of crimes against children in 2023 , marking a 9.2% rise over the previous year. These cases include abuse, kidnapping, sexual offences, and other crimes, averaging nearly 486 incidents against children every day. Experts warn that abuse by family members and caregivers is significantly under-reported, meaning the true scale of the problem is likely far greater.

What makes this case particularly shocking is that the very person who should protect a child, be it mother or stepmother, becomes the abuser. A mother is meant to be someone a child looks up to, someone with whom they can share fears and problems. When trust is broken in this most fundamental relationship, the girl is left vulnerable, deprived of the safety and comfort every child deserves.

Child protection must go beyond words to meaningful, sustained action. Families, communities, teachers, and caregivers need systematic sensitisation on child rights, psychology, and non‑violent discipline. Many acts of abuse arise from ignorance or misplaced punitive attitudes, which can be addressed through awareness campaigns and educational programs.

Educators, health workers, and community volunteers must be trained to identify signs of abuse early and respond decisively. Silent suffering ends only when trusted adults speak up instead of ignoring or covering up the abuse.

While India has strong laws like the POCSO Act and relevant provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita , gaps in implementation remain. There must be swift investigation, stringent penalties for custodial abuse, and expedited justice for child victims. Survivors also require multidisciplinary support, medical, psychological, and legal, to recover and reintegrate without lifelong trauma.

The shocking case in Kerala should serve as a wake-up call: violence against children, especially by family members, is a national emergency. Ending it demands courage from society, accountability from institutions, and a resolute commitment to protect every child’s bodily integrity and dignity .