Summary:
With schools shut due to pandemic, several children have become victims of this practice.
Many child marriages have gone unreported.
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As many as five child marriages were stopped across the city of Hyderabad in past three months as school remained shut due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Child rights activists have raise concern over rising cases of child marriages in lockdown.
The SHE team of police stopped two child marriages under the Cyberabad limits this month.
The victims in both cases were 16 year old girls.
After verifying the education certificates, police officials took necessary steps.
As per a police official ‘’the child development protection officer counseled the parents of the victims in the presence of village sarpanches and took an undertaking letter from their fathers assuring that they will not marry off their daughter before they attain the legal age’’.
A women and child welfare department stated that ‘’ with schools shut due to pandemic, several children may have become victims of this practice.
Many child marriages have gone unreported’’.
According to experts the lockdown has been catastrophic for underprivileged families and children who are especially at risk.
Officials stated that many adolescent girls turn victims of child marriage after they passed class 10th exams.