Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): At a time when the winners of medals in international and national games raised a storm across the country by revealing how they were sexually exploited, several youths in Bhopal revealed how they fell prey to bad touch in their spring. One such girl was Aditi (name changed).
Now, she is 23. But the way Anita was touched at her home when she was just three has left a permanent imprint on her mind. The doer was her 16-year-old domestic help. She is not alone. There are many girls as well as boys who were sexually exploited in one way or other in their childhood.
Recently during wrestling row, Olympian Vinesh Phogat alleged that at least 10 women wrestlers told her that they were sexually exploited by WFI president Brij Bhushan Singh. Phogat’s statement made citizens question the safety of women in every field.
Free Press spoke to youths about their first experience of sexual harassment. The details they shared were shocking. Many were below ten. That first experience still haunts them, they say.
23-year-old Aditi said, "I was three when I was molested for the first time. The most disappointing part is that I was at home when I was molested by a 16-year-old boy who was our domestic help. I was a toddler but I still remember that disgusting smell. "He was chewing some paan masala, and even now that smell haunts me."
She added, "For some reason, I could never tell my parents about this incident."
A 22-year-old girl said, "I was five years old. My relative’s son used to take me down in the basement, and there he used to touch me inappropriately. Till today, when someone touches me suddenly, I get chills in my body.”
A 25-year-old woman said, "I was 8 when a 25-year-old relative of mine touched me inappropriately." I went to my village in UP for a function, and there, this relative took me to an isolated place where he tried to insert his finger in my vagina. It was painful, so I screamed and went to my mother. She asked me to keep quiet. Now, when I see him with his daughter, I feel like telling her what kind of monster her father is but I can’t.
Men are victims too
Sharing a similar incident, 24-year-old Akash mentioned, "I was 15 when I was touched inappropriately by my school basketball coach." I was in a basketball team and our coach used to pinch every guy while talking. One day she pinched me and I objected. After that, she spanked me on my butt. It wasn’t the friendly coach touch.
It was weird and disgusting. There were many guys who experienced similar instances but we never complained about it to anyone."
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