MALAPPURAM: Three men, who sexually abused a 12-year-old boy multiple times after luring him with the promise to sing on their YouTube channel, have been arrested by the Kuttipuram police in Malappuram. Keezhattur natives Ummar, 55, and Osama, 47, and Vengoor native Ummar, 55 were booked under the Pocso (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act and placed in remand on Sunday.
The abuse came to light when the child’s mother took him to a doctor after noticing changes in his behaviour. The doctor then revealed that the child had been abused. The culprits subjected the child to unnatural sex at several places in the locality, the police investigation found.
Childline authorities said parents should be extremely careful for protecting their children from abuse.
“In this case, the parents came to know about the abuse after the child was sexually assaulted multiple times. They should not have sent the boy with the culprits. Parents should always keep an eye on their children and the people the latter mingle with,” said Childline district coordinator Anwar Karakkadan.
He said two similar Pocso cases were reported in the district recently. “In one case, a child was abused on the promise to sing Mappila songs. The other case was reported from Kondotty. The latest incident reveals parents are still not learning from such incidents reported previously,” Anwar said.
He said people coming across instances of child abuse should inform Childline by calling 1098 and also alert the police. Malappuram district reported the second highest number of Pocso cases (339) in the state in 2021. Thiruvananthapuram (389) was first.