life is not all that sunny in Goa, as far as children of migrant labourers are concerned. Goa’s tourism industry has increased the exploitation of migrant child labour and children are open to sexual exploitation by paedophiles, which includes both foreign and domestic tourists, research suggests.
The research report ‘Walking the tightrope: Exploitation of migrant children in Tourism in Goa’ compiled by a joint team of NGOs from Goa and Bengaluru has also suggested that the Tourism industry stakeholders in Goa should evolve and adopt a child-friendly tourism code.
“One of the factors with the growth in tourism over the years is its contribution to an increase in the exploitation of children, which often assumes intolerable forms. A series of studies over the years published by official agencies and civil society organisations working on the rights of children have clearly highlighted the links between tourism and the rampant existence of child abuse in Goa as well as in many other parts of India indicating the involvement of both domestic and foreign tourists,” the study said.
Compiled by Bengaluru-based Equations and Goa-based organisations like Children’s Rights in Goa, Jan Ugahi and Centre for Responsible Tourism the study also said that convictions were few in cases involving serial paedophiles who have been arrested for committing child sex abuse in Goa.
The report also tries to dispel the stereotypes that most paedophiles are foreign nationals, suggesting that domestic tourists could also be responsible for child sex abuse, but tend to get away from punishment because they tend to pass of their victims as relatives.
“In the cases mentioned above the travelling sex offenders are of foreign nationality. However, it is important to note that travelling sex offenders are not necessarily of foreign nationality only. Every year Goa witnesses a large number of single male domestic tourists. Some of these visitors come to Goa believing that they can have sex with minors,” the report states.
“Sunita Sawant, Deputy Superintendent (Special Investigation Team) in her interview with the research team said that sexual assault could be committed by foreign or domestic tourists. Unfortunately, cases of domestic tourists involved in the sexual abuse of minors are far more difficult to detect as the child is often passed off as a relative,” it adds.