ABSTRACT
According to the United Nation convention on the Rights of the Child, the word child defines any person under the age of 18. Childhood is the most vulnerable period of life; during this stage, the child requires a protective shield for their development and has to depend on others for fulfilling their basic needs of life. Not all children are fortunate to be under the protected net and the actual data for such children is difficult to converge because more often than not they are unheard and unnoticed. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, Assam had a striking 37.4% increase in crimes against children in 2020. Child trafficking, child sexual exploitation or abuse and missing children were among the highest in the state. The present study specifically focuses on cases of children (ages 6–18 years) who were victims of sexual abuse, the process of their rescue and restoration during the COVID-19 lockdown in the district of Darrang. It further explains some of the remedial measures for proper redressal of the silent and unheard victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation.
