Around 20 Runaway Children Were Rescued In Ernakulam Rail Stations In Kerala

During the pandemic outbreak of travel limitations, the railway protection force and the child helpline in Ernakulam train stations in Kerala rescued about 20 children aged between 12-18 who ran away from their homes.

The majority of children were from the northeastern states and arrived in Ernakulam by train after the railroads launched Covid special services from the end of last year to the beginning of this year. Officials stated some of the children traveled for two to three days without food and arrived in the city while avoiding the railway police onboard trains.

According to the official, four of the twenty children were rescued, together with their mothers, who had been forced to flee their homes because of domestic violence. The youngsters were in some cases in dangerous situations since their mothers were determined to have mental health issues.

The rescue team's official stated that they present the children to the child welfare committee, which sends them to a care home and begins the process of reuniting them with their families with the help of child welfare committees in their home districts.

He also added that in some circumstances, parents address child welfare committees after learning of their children's locations. Some people may be unable to afford train tickets to Kerala. In such circumstances, they purchase tickets on their behalf.

Though railway security force employees undertake checks in moving trains, many of these children may go unreported since they are resting on berths. According to the official, they had to make sure and persuade the children that they had come to rescue them, not to harm them, before they accompanied them.