Kerala: Ex-employee at child welfare council in TVM reveals history of physical abuses by arrested caretakers

By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Dec 4, 2024, 8:54 AM IST

Three caregivers at the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Thiruvananthapuram have been arrested for allegedly abusing a 2.5-year-old girl, leaving her with severe injuries.

Thiruvananthapuram: Three caretakers from the state Child Welfare Committee (CWC) have been arrested for allegedly abusing a two-and-a-half-year-old girl in their care. Ajitha, Maheswari, and Sindhu are facing charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and other relevant laws. The allegations are particularly disturbing, as the caretakers are accused of inflicting severe injuries on the child's vaginal area as a form of punishment for bedwetting.

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The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) is responsible for the care of 162 children under the age of six, supported by 102 caretakers. The individuals accused in this case have been working at the facility for the last five years.

A former caretaker at the Thiruvananthapuram Child Welfare Committee has come forward with shocking allegations. According to the caretaker, the staff regularly abused children, including physically harming a two-and-a-half-year-old girl for bedwetting. The caregiver, who wishes to remain anonymous, revealed that the abuse was a common occurrence and that authorities were informed but took no action.

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The former caretaker at the Child Welfare Committee also revealed that the accused individuals have a history of misconduct. Speaking to Asianet News, the caretaker said, despite being temporarily transferred, they often return to their old roles, perpetuating a cycle of abuse.

The caretakers reportedly concealed the incident for over a week. According to sources, the caretakers had a history of mistreating children but were allowed to continue working due to their alleged connections to left-wing political groups. The caregivers allegedly justified their actions by claiming they were "teaching the child a lesson".

The arrested caretakers brutally abused a two-and-a-half-year-old girl who had lost both parents and was under the care of the Child Welfare Committee. The caretakers allegedly assaulted the child for bedwetting. According to reports, the main accused, Ajitha, confessed to the crime in front of witnesses at a wedding reception on the 24th of last month.

Despite being aware of the abuse, the other caregivers, Sindhu and Maheshwari, failed to intervene or report the incident. They concealed the information for over a week, allowing the perpetrators to continue their abuse. The child's cries of pain were ignored, and it wasn't until a new caregiver took over the child's care that the abuse came to light. The new caregiver noticed the child's distress while bathing and raised the alarm, leading to the exposure of the horrific abuse.

The child was admitted to the Thycaud Government Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram with severe injuries. The child had wounds on her private parts, back, and hands. The hospital authorities informed the police, who then registered a case and began investigating. The police have recorded the statements of 70 people in connection with the incident.

Following a two-day investigation, three individuals confessed to abusing the two-and-a-half-year-old girl. Their confessional statements, which detailed the abuse, have been recorded. Interestingly, the same individuals had faced disciplinary action earlier for physically assaulting children but were reinstated due to their alleged connections to left-wing political groups. The Museum police have sought more information from the Child Welfare Committee regarding this incident.

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