(July 11, 2011) The archbishop of western India’s Goa state has said that the state
is becoming a child sex trade hub after Thailand and called for a legislation to effectively
tackle the problem. Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao said Thailand, which is considered
to be the capital of child-sex tourism, cracked down on the illegal industry under
pressure from international child protection organizations. And now the sex-trade
lords are looking for fresh locations in Southeast Asia. The prelate said that India,
especially Goa touted as a holiday destination, is increasingly seen as the most viable
place for such a shift of operations. He was speaking at a two-day seminar at Panaji,
on Saturday, on child sex abuse, co-organised by the Catholic Church-aligned Centre
for Responsible Tourism. Archbishop Ferrao said that India has the dubious distinction
of having the largest number of sexually-abused children in the world, and he urged
the nation to guard against the oncoming “onslaught of child-sex tourism.” Goa Children’s
Act, for the protection of children’s rights, must be made more stringent, he said
adding a legislation is required that will declare zero tolerance for child sexual
abuse, particularly for tourism-related crimes against children in India.