Sexual abuse at Yatheemkhana: Social Welfare Department to be blamed

It has been pointed out that total dereliction of duty by the Social Welfare Department officials had led to the sexual harassment of seven teenaged girls at a yatheemkhana at Peralasserry in Kannur district allegedly by the secretary of the orphanage.

 Speaking to ‘Express’, Child Welfare Committee member P C Vijayarajan said it was the tip-off from the victims which had helped them to expose the harassment by the secretary in collusion with a female warden.  A P Ahammed(41), secretary of the orphanage, was arrested on charges of sexual harassment of seven girls.

The female warden Kunjamina(41) of Kasargod was also arrested for helping Ahammed to harass the girls.  Vijayarajan said the Child Welfare Committee, a statutory body functioning under the supervision of the High Court, was shocked to find that both boys and girls of the orphanage were housed in the same building.

The orphanages are working under a certificate of Orphanage Control Board. But the orphanage which should have  functi oned under the rules prescribed in the Juvenile Justice Act, was found not to be adhering to these rules.

 He said the yatheemkhana secretary was staying in a room attached to the dormitory of the  girls. Allowing a man to stay in the same building of the girls dormitory is a serious offence, he said. ‘’The Social Welfare Department officials  had conducted periodic visits and given required certificates in spite of these serious lapses. It is really shocking,’’ Vijayarajan said. During medical examination of the victims,  7 of the 17 victims were found sexually abused. The girls have given a statement before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kannur, that the secretary had abused them. The victims have been shifted to the Mahilamandiram, Kannur, and the rest of them to other orphanages.

He said during the raid they could not find all the 66 inmates claimed by the   yatheemkhana to be housed there. He expressed doubts that the orphanage authorities in collusion with Department officials were giving inflated numbers to get monetary benefits for them from government funds.   He said it was high time for the Social Welfare Department intervene and  conduct raids to ensure that the orphanage managements had genuine intentions.