Chennai: To address sexual crimes against children, YANA (You are not alone) initiative which will be launched State-wide in January, said R G Anand, member of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).

He was speaking at the Tamilnadu State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (TNSCPCR) in Kilpauk recently.
YANA is part of a national movement started by the Ministry of Women and Child Development with an aim to prevent child abuse.

Anand said that as part of the scheme, a ‘YANA’ centre would be set up in all the districts along with the appointment of a child counsellor. As a part of the initiative, a four-digit phone number that children can easily memorise and call if they are abuse would be set up.

He said that the initiative will facilitate easy access for children to report incidents of abuse and receive counselling.
“A child counsellor will be appointed for every area who would handle cases of children within 30 kms radius from his centre. YANA will also be used to create awareness among the public, particularly children, regarding child rights,” Anand added.

Addressing concerned questions that there has been a lack of effective intervention by NCPCR and its State wing during the recent crimes against children especially the beheading of a Dalit girl in Salem, he said that interventions were made as and when they have received complaints.

He added that police and other officials were the ones to first respond to such incidents and the role of child rights commissions becomes important only when these departments fail their part.