
PATHANAMTHITTA: Police teams probing an 18-year-old Dalit girl’s revelation that she was sexually abused by more than 60 persons over the past five years have so far arrested 20 persons, including a juvenile. The girl is an athlete.
A total of nine cases have been registered in two police stations in the Pathanamthitta district, including under the Pocso Act, with more likely to follow.
Based on the statements of the survivor, who was allegedly subjected to repeated sexual abuse from the age of 13, the Elavumthitta police had on Friday arrested five persons. On Saturday, Pathanamthitta police arrested 15 more persons, including a 17-year-old boy.
A special investigation team, headed by Pathanamthitta DySP S Nandakumar, has been constituted, and police are questioning the accused - who include her father’s friends - in detail.
The girl, who belongs to a scheduled caste community, had revealed the ordeal to Child Welfare Committee (CWC) members who subsequently informed the police.
According to the police, when the girl was 13, Subin, the son of her father’s friend, lured her by showing obscene visuals on his mobile phone. He also took the girl’s nude pictures on his phone. When the girl was 16, Subin took her to a secluded rubber plantation in their locality and assaulted her sexually.
He also recorded videos of the act on his phone. This was followed by regular sexual abuse, the police said.
The probe revealed that the visuals were shared among Subin’s friends, who also sexually abused her. Subin was arrested on Friday.
Fresh cases were registered on Saturday in the order of the places where the girl was raped. She was sexually abused at various locations, including her school, the police said.
As per the girl’s statement, the perpetrators used to communicate with her through her father’s mobile phone, without his knowledge.
Around 40 individuals were identified by the police after verifying phone records and information from a note in her possession.
National Women’s Commission seeks report from police
Police said her parents were unaware of the abuse. It is learnt that the persons outside Pathanamthitta district might be involved in the case.
Earlier, the complaint of the survivor was directly forwarded by the State Child Welfare Committee to the Pathanamthitta SP. It was during the CWC members’ home visit that the information about the abuse that had been going on for more than two years came to light.
The girl, whose academic performance suffered following the repeated abuse, revealed the matter first before a women empowerment collective during a counselling session. The collective then informed the CWC of the matter.
On the instructions of CWC, Pathanamthitta Women’s Police Sub Inspector Shemimol recorded the child’s detailed statement in the presence of her mother. The victim is currently undergoing counselling sessions by CWC and staying in a shelter home. District Police Chief V G Vinod Kumar said the legal action will continue based on the statements.
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women has instructed the state police to file a report within three days in connection with the incident.