MADURAI
In a shocking incident, a 10-year-old girl was sexually assaulted at a private home for children, Russ Foundation, in Thondaimanpatti near here allegedly by the director and an employee of the home.
The director, M. Berlin Jose, 54, and the employee, John Prabakar, 63, were arrested under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 by Chatrapatti police on Tuesday. They were produced before Mahila Court Judge J. Flora and sent to judicial custody, the police said.
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The victim is being treated at a hospital in the district headquarters where she was admitted to on October 15.
Russ Foundation’s home and hospice centre at Thondaimanpatti was inaugurated in November 2017. It was started to take care HIV-infected people. They also inaugurated a home to cater to young orphans, children of people from low socio-economic background and those infected with HIV.
The young inmates – 11 girls and eight boys – of the facility were taken from the home and sent to other such facilities by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), said Chairman of Madurai District Child Welfare Committee M. Vijayasaravanan, who inspected the Thondaimanpatti facility along with other committee members, including L. Shanmugam and B. Pandiaraja.
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“Eight inmates of the facility are orphans. They will be placed under the care of the committee. Since the victim is psychologically affected and scared, she will be under our care for the next two days,” he said.
He added that the other children were being examined to ascertain if any other inmate was subjected to sexual assault.
When contacted, Collector T.G. Vinay said the premises would be sealed. “Steps have been taken to inspect all such homes in the district,” he added.