Arpan, one of India’s leading organisations working to end child sexual abuse, has launched the 7th edition of Child Safety Week with a strong and clear message: #POCSOPakadLega. This means “If anyone touches a child the wrong way, the POCSO law will catch them.”
Popular actress Vidya Balan, who has been Arpan’s Goodwill Ambassador for many years, is the face of this year’s campaign. Actors Shweta Kawaatra, Manav Gohil and Anup Soni have also joined hands to spread the word and warn offenders that child sexual abuse is a serious crime and no one will be spared.
Every year, thousands of children in India face sexual abuse, and most of the time the abuser is someone the child knows and trusts – a family member, neighbour, teacher or relative. Arpan says silence only helps the offender, so this campaign is shouting out loud that the law is watching and will take strict action.
Pooja Taparia, Founder and CEO of Arpan, said: “Child Sexual Abuse isn’t a taboo topic to be shrouded in silence — it’s a criminal offence, and silence only protects offenders. Through #POCSOPakadLega, we are no longer whispering about this issue; we are shouting it out loud — if you sexually abuse a child, the law will catch you. Our goal is to dismantle silence, empower adults to take action, and ensure that every offender knows that impunity is no longer an option. Every child deserves safety, and every offender deserves to be held accountable”.
Arpan is also reaching out to schools across many states. More than 80,000 trained teachers will talk to children and parents about keeping kids safe. Activities and teddy bear displays will happen in hundreds of schools, and many NGOs are joining the movement.
With the support of government bodies, media companies and mall partners, the campaign is expected to reach over 10 crore people this year.
Child Safety Week started in 2019 and has grown bigger every year. Last year the message was “All children are Protected by POCSO.” This year Arpan is taking one step further – telling offenders directly that the law will catch them.
Vidya Balan said, “I am proud to stand with Arpan. Every child deserves to be safe. If anyone harms a child, POCSO Pakad Lega. I request every adult to speak up and protect children.”
Arpan has been working on child safety for many years and has already reached more than 2 crore children and adults with its programmes. The organisation hopes this year’s Child Safety Week will make India a safer place for every child.
