Three-Year-Old Girl Abused and Threatened by Step-Mother

August 18, 2014

WCRP: Three-year-old Ma Ya Ta Nar Phyo was abused and threatened by her step-mother while living in Chaung Zone, Three Pagodas Pass. The Boarder Health Initiative (BHI) was in Chaung Zone with a mobile clinic when they brought the child to a safe house located in the New Mon State Party-controlled area of Palaing Japan on July 15th.

“I don’t want to take care of this child, but because of my husband, I have to take care [of her]. I want to give this child to other people who want to adopt [her], but her parents died of HIV virus, and no one dare to adopt her due to [worries that the] child may have HIV,” said the child’s step-mother, Daw Sout.
According to a neighbor, “the girl lived with her step-mother in Chaung Zone, Three Pagodas Pass, and she was abused and threatened by her step-mother. [The] step-mother did not provide [enough] food. [The child’s] mother died a year ago with HIV virus, and her father sold vegetables for their livelihood and took care of her. Unfortunately, six months later, her father also died with HIV virus and she [Ma Ya Ta Nar Phyp] had to live with her step-mother.”

When the child arrived at the safe house, she was severely malnourished and did not talk. According to the neighbor, the girl was too afraid of her step-mother, and does not talk.

When Ma Ya Ta Nar Phyo first arrived at the safe house, she showed clear signs of trauma.

According to a staff member from the safe house, “[Ma Ya Ta Nar Phyo] arrived [to] our safe house in the evening. She was crying too much, and did not eat food, did not speak, did not want to live with the people. It showed on her face, she was always scared [of] something. Then she stopped crying in the morning around 4am. After she [was here] three days, she start[ed] talking a bit. Before, we thought that she couldn’t speak, but she can speak both Mon and Burmese languages. We didn’t want her to feel lonely, and [played a] cartoon movie for her, but when she saw the light on the TV she felt scared and was crying. I thought that her step-mother showed something to her on the TV and scared her. But now, she is talking to the other people in the safe house and she also has [a] friend here,” said a staff member from the safe house. Ma Ya Ta Nar Phyo now joins the nursery school located near the safe house.

Three months ago the girl’s step-mother went to a hospital on the Thai-Burma border, on Thai side, to check for HIV, but was not able to have blood drawn due to malnutrition. Doctors advised the step-mother to return for testing in six months.

A child whose mother is HIV positive cannot be tested for HIV until he or she reached 9-18 months; according to staff from the safe house, they will bring Ma Ya Ta Nar Phyo to the hospital in October to receive HIV testing.

Written by Modinator · Filed Under News