Derek O'Brien Supports POCSO Amendment Bill in Rajya Sabha, Says He Was 'Sexually Molested' at 13 Years of Age
While participating in the debate, O'Brien shared a horrifying experience from his childhood, when he was subjected to sexual abuse on a public bus in Kolkata. 'As a 13-yr-old, after tennis practice & in short pants and t-shirt, I got on a crowded bus. I was sexually molested, it was reason enough for an unknown man to ejaculate at shorts of this boy,' he said.
New Delhi , July 24: Senior Trinamool Congress lawmaker Derek O'Brien extended support to the amendments being moved to the Prevention of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act by the government. The changes would widen the applicability of death penalty in cases of sexual assault on minors.
While participating in the debate, O'Brien shared a horrifying experience from his childhood, when he was subjected to sexual abuse on a public bus in Kolkata. After Priyanka Gandhi, TMC Delegation Going to Sonbhadra Detained at Varanasi Airport
"As a 13-yr-old, after tennis practice and in short pants and t-shirt, I got on a crowded bus. I was sexually molested, it was reason enough for an unknown man to ejaculate at shorts of this boy," he said.
The parliamentarian said the experience is so harrowing that children are often unable to get over it, or reveal the trauma they have suffered to their parents.
"I didn't speak about it, till I brought it up once much later in my life with my parents. We need to use this forum to reach out to people. The more people talk about it, the more children will be saved. Let's work towards prevention of this heinous crime," he added.
O'Brien received support from the treasury benches, with Union Minister Smriti Irani lauding his decision to open up about his case before the Parliament.
"That fact that an MP today shared what he faced at age 13...46 years later, tells us what an imprint sexual abuse leaves on a child," said Irani, who heads the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 24, 2019 07:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).