TIRUCHY: Four staff members of a private hostel for children at Thirupparaithurai in Tiruchy district were arrested under the POCSO Act on Saturday for allegedly sexually assaulting five minor residents. Sources said a total of 240 inmates, including orphaned boys and some students from a nearby school, who preferred a hostel facility, are lodged here.
Four days ago, an employee of the hostel submitted a petition to Collector M Pradeep Kumar stating that the children were being sexually assaulted. Based on the collector’s order, a Social Welfare Department officer and a District Child Protection officer conducted inquiries and found that five minor boys had allegedly been sexually assaulted by the four hostel staff.
Based on the findings, Jeeyapuram AWPS police arrested wardens Dhanasekaran (41) and Yesurajan (32), gardener Parthiban (44) and cook Sivagiri (34) under various sections of the POCSO Act. Collector Pradeep Kumar said the victims would be closely monitored for a week and counselling would be provided to them. Officials are continuing inquiries to find out if any other children have been assaulted sexually. “If that is the case, the government will take over the hostel operations,” he said.