Girish Kulkarni, a social activist who has worked with human trafficking victims in Marathwada and other areas, said, “In a year, there are around 4,000-5,000 young girls who are sexually abused in Beed district and around 1,000 girls and women are trafficked every year. This condition is directly connected to the temporary migration of people. Many couples marry off their children early as they can’t take on the responsibilities of the kids while working in the fields. Child marriages also take place because parents feel that children will be protected in marriage. However, most of these child marriages fail. Young girls run away from their homes. Often they are trapped by human traffickers and end up as sex workers. As for children who stay back are often subjected to sexual abuse, as there is little to no supervision. The elderly cannot take care of them all the time due to age problems.”