| Abstract: | Child abuse in Nagaland has received little research attention, even though rescue agencies in Dimapur continue to receive cases. This paper draws on three cases from institutional care homes in the district, involving children who were 13 to 15 years old when the abuse occurred. One boy had been placed in domestic work in exchange for schooling and was beaten over several months. A 15-year-old girl was raped by her brother after he drugged her food, and the abuse came to light only when a hospital examination found that she was pregnant. Five visually impaired girls were sexually harassed in a residential school by the man who ran it. The names used here are pseudonyms. The cases do not support a claim about how common abuse is in the state. They do show that the harm took place in settings meant to look after the child, that poverty, thin supervision, drug use and disability shaped the opportunity, and that Child Helpline, the police, hospitals and care homes acted after an outsider noticed. Recovery, at the time of interview, was incomplete. |
