Kids get ‘safe space' with art, books & toys at 7 police stations
Mumbai: Toys, art supplies, books, popular children's show characters painted on walls—these may look rather out of place in a grim police station but are part of a pioneering move that could reshape the way law enforcement interacts with minors.
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Mumbai police recently opened a dedicated safe space for children of suspects and victims at seven police stations in zone 4, covering Matunga, Sion, Antop Hill, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Marg, Kalachowkie, Bhoiwada and Wadala truck terminal.
At these police stations, one room with a separate entry, dubbed as a 'child-friendly corner', has been earmarked solely for children while their caregivers are being questioned or are recording their testimonies.
The room has child-friendly furniture, toys, art materials and books to keep them occupied. A senior police officer said dedicated women police officers with specialised training will handle the children to ensure that interactions are respectful.
The model will soon be replicated at the remaining 85 police stations in the city. Mumbai police are also expected to collaborate with child psychologists, legal aid experts and NGOs to provide holistic support to children.
The initiative aligns closely with Juvenile Justice Act.
Also dubbed 'the Matunga model', the initiative aims at bridging what experts have often called a persistent gap in how legal systems, especially police stations, engage with minors. "Children often find themselves at police stations in extremely vulnerable circumstances, either as victims of abuse, witnesses to crimes, or children of accused. Traditional police environments can be intimidating and even traumatic.
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In such situations, such corners can keep children busy and distract them from the harsh situation at police stations," said a police officer.
"This is more than a room—it's a message," said DCP (zone 4) R Raghasudha. "A message that Mumbai police are committed to treating children with dignity, care and compassion."
Stuti Kacker, chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, said children must be protected, heard and nurtured, especially when they find themselves within systems that have historically failed to accommodate their voices.
NGOs welcomed police's initiative. Kumar Nilendu, general maanger (programmes), CRY West, said the child rights NGO held training sessions for police as part of the initiative. "The change in their approach would make children much less intimidated by police."
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