Kerala Dalit Girl Alleges Sexual Abuse by over 60 people, 15 arrested
Police officers say the case is a rarest of rare among POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act ) cases due to the number of accused involved in the crime.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a shocking case, an 18-year-old Dalit girl in Kerala has revealed that more than 60 persons sexually abused her over the past five years in Pathanamthitta district.
The girl disclosed her ordeal before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) members. The preliminary investigations by the police has indicated that there are more than 60 accused in the case which the girl has also corroborated.
According to police , 15 persons have been held in connection with the sexual abuse case so far. Six persons were arrested by police on Friday after registration of five FIRs in two police stations in Pathanamthitta district.
The arrested persons include Subin, 24, S Sandeep,30, V K Vineeth, 30, K Anandu, 21, and Sreeni, 24 all native of Chenneekara in Pathanamthitta. The girl also identified 40 other persons who abused her, from the photos on the mobile phones of the arrested persons.
The police said the girl, who is a district-level athlete, was lured by one Subin when she was just 13 years old. The accused, who is a neighbour and son of her father's friend, showed her obscene visuals on his mobile phone and lured her. He also took girl's nude pictures of the girl on his phone camera.
The accused sexually assaulted her at a secluded place in their locality when the girl was 16 years old. The sexual abuse was recorded on the phone to blackmail the girl and repeatedly abuse her.
Later Subuin shared the videos with his friends who also assaulted her sexually. The victim first revealed the sexual abuse suffered by her to a counsellor of Women Empowerment Collective during a counselling session.
According to police, further evidence collected in the matter indicated that more persons had exploited the girl sexually including her coaches, fellow athletes and classmates.
The Pathanamthitta Child Welfare Committee members said that the issue came up before them more than two weeks ago. Subsequently the girl and her mother were advised to report the matter to the committee. After a counselling session, the girl disclosed the sexual abuse that she had been subjected to since the age of 13.
Police officers say the case is a rarest of rare among POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act ) cases due to the number of accused involved in the crime. The sections of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act) will also be slapped against the accused as the girl belongs to the Scheduled Caste community.
Meanwhile, the girl has been shifted to a shelter home under the Child Welfare Committee considering her safety.
The girl used the mobile phone of her father who is an alcoholic. Most of the perpetrators were identified from the list of contacts in the mobile phone.