Last week, many of us would’ve read the shocking but perhaps not uncommon news of a 15-year-old girl who had given birth and allegedly caused the death of her newborn. As more details emerge about the case, it was reported that the girl has been remanded while a police investigation is carried out, which has been criticised by MPs and child rights’ advocates for not considering the child’s right to protection, despite having possibly committed a serious crime. In a situation like this, how do we balance between addressing the crime while also protecting the child’s rights? Srividhya Ganapthy, co-chairperson of CRIB Foundation weighs in.

Image credit: Shutterstock