Some girl students from Marayur who had stopped going to school fearing reprisal after a sexual abuse complaint was filed against a teacher at the Model Residential School (MRS), Ettumanur, would attend the classes from Monday.
Nearly 30 girl students had returned to their settlements in the Marayur region on November 18 and 10 of them were reluctant to return to the school. The parents of the students said that they would not send their wards as they were pressured to withdraw the complaints and a few teachers tried to protect the accused.A case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was filed against a music teacher who was accused of sexually abusing 15 students. The students were from various tribal settlements inside the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary and the Marayur Forest Division.
A counselling session was held for the students on Saturday as per the direction of the Devikulam Subcollector. At the session, all steps were promised to ensure the safety of the students at the school.
Social worker Dhanushkodi said that the students and the parents were fearful of the development at the school. The students would be sent to the school on a Forest Department vehicle and a woman official of the Integrated Tribal Development Project would receive them there, he added.
