The initiative is in response to the latest case of the murder of a child. The case was reported by the girl’s grandfather, who was suspicious of his daughter’s explanation for her death. A Catholic doctor applauds the initiative: it is “urgent” to promote “the value and dignity” of women from conception.
Delhi () – A special task force has been launched against cases of infanticide of girls and murder of female foetuses in Vellore. This is the initiative launched by the government of Tamil Nadu, in southern India, in response to a recent news case in which a couple was arrested following the death of their daughter. According to the district police in the city, Jeeva, 28, and his wife Dayana, 20, from the village of Yeliur, in the district of Vellore, were arrested on 6 September for allegedly poisoning the girl. The investigation was launched following a complaint filed by Saravanan, Dayana’s father and grandfather of the victim, who went to the local police station (Sho) in Veppankulam, after suspecting the cause of death.
Interviewed by Dr Pascoal Carvalho, a member of the Human Life Committee (AHLC) of the Archdiocese of Delhi and a former member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, welcomes the initiative because it is “urgent” to promote the “value and dignity” of women from conception. Recalling that the Church celebrates the birthday of Mary, mother of Jesus, on 8 September, he stresses once again the importance of opposing such widespread practices as “female infanticide and ferticide”. He reiterates his opposition to sex determination tests and selective abortions, hoping for “a change in conscience” in the country, valuing safeguarding and protection programmes such as Tamil Nadu’s ‘Cradle Baby Scheme’ for abandoned children.
The latest news came about thanks to a brave complaint by the little victim’s grandfather, who was not convinced by his daughter’s story that the newborn had died after bleeding from her nose and ears. After the investigation, the parents admitted that they had killed her because “they hoped that the second child would be a boy.” Now the police have arranged for the formation of a special unit to investigate all cases of deaths of girls registered in the state during the last year.
Several cases of stillbirth or female infanticide have been reported in the past in Vellore district. According to statistics, at least one or two deaths were due to milk ingestion (according to the official version) and all of them were girls. The district administration had already sent a letter to the medical officials to consider the second daughters as “high-risk babies” and to monitor them weekly for at least a month. The authorities have also instructed all hospitals to monitor the progress of the deliveries and send a team of nurses and technicians from the village to monitor the girls.
The state medical department has also stepped up enforcement of the Pre-Conception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994, in an attempt to curb female foeticide. Added to this is the crackdown on illegal screening centres used for sex identification. A couple of years ago, as many as 22 such centres were closed down in Tiruvannamalai district, also in Tamil Nadu. After the Vellore police registered a case of female infanticide against Jeeva and Dayana, the special police team will finally check the cases of abortions and medical terminations of pregnancy (MTP) in each district for the past year.
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