MALAPPURAM: The police here have arrested a mother on charges of forcing her underage girl child into sex work. The police also suspects that two younger sisters of the girl were also subjected to sexual abuse, andarewaiting for the medical reports to confirm it.
The girl, her siblings and mother were intercepted late night on Thursday by the Anti-eve Teasing Squad under Malappuram District Police Chief, District Child Protection Unit and the NGO Childline. The police first had an impression that the children were being used for begging. The plight of the girl came to light after she was counselled by volunteers of Childline.
The eldest girl, who is 17 years old, has a two-year-old child. Childline officials said two of the agents involved in the recent case of child sexual abuse registered in Kottakkal has connections with the case. One of the agents is the father of the victim in the Kottakkal sex abuse case.
“Police handed over the children to us on Thursday evening. During the counselling, the girl said she was introduced to the sex trade by her mother. The mother once sold her daughter for Rs 300 to a clients,” said Anvar Karakadan, Coordinator, Childline.
The mother was arrested by Malappuram town police on Friday. Police officials said the woman was using her daughter for the last two years for prostitution. The police have now sought medical help to to confirm whether the girls siblings, aged 14 and 16, were also sexually abused.
“The eldest child is from her first husband and the second and third children are from the second husband. Now the husband and woman are living separately. The clients contacted them through agents and we have identified few among them,” a police official said.
The woman who hails from Wayanad district is currently a resident of Ponmala near Kottakkal.
Police said they have information about eight persons who could have abused the girl.