At an event organized by the District Child Protection Unit for creating awareness among the media regarding reporting of sexual abuses against children, Pathanamthitta district collector Divya S Iyer revealed that she was sexually assaulted by two men during her childhood.

Narrating the incident, she said that they affectionately called her to their side and tried to strip her. When realized that something unexpected was going to happen, she ran away from their clutches. "I couldn't understand why they were touching me or showing so much love. It was when they removed my dress that it felt awkward. I immediately ran from there," Iyer narrated her horrific experience.

The collector further added that she was able to escape from that trauma only because of her parents’ psychological support. "Later, whenever I was in a crowd, I looked around to see if those men were there," the Collector said. Iyer encouraged the audience to educate children on the concepts of "good touch" and "bad touch." She emphasized the importance of preventing children from going through such experiences, which can disrupt their carefree childhood. In addition to being a medical doctor, Iyer was awarded the 'Excellence in Good Governance Award' for district magistrates by a national media organization earlier this year.