Kilimanoor: In yet another incident of violence against children, a father who attacked his teen son with a shovel handle for not scoring A+ in all subjects of the SSLC examination has been arrested at Kilimanoor in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram district. He was beaten up despite scoring A+ in six subjects.
The child who sustained injuries to arms, legs and neck has been treated at a hospital.
The father even suffocated the child by pressing the shovel handle on the child's throat. The child’s sister saw him struggling for breath and screamed. Neighbours who rushed to help also notified the police and the child welfare panel.
The mother was not at home when the incident happened. The father was charged and remanded in custody after she lodged a complaint with the police.
The SSLC examination results in Kerala were announced on Monday. In all 37,344 students secured A+ in all subjects.
Grim attacks
Horrific and inhuman attacks on children are increasing in Kerala. Recently, a seven-year-old boy was brutally assaulted and murdered by his stepfather in Thodupuzha and in Aluva a three-year-old boy died after he was hit on the head with a wooden stick allegedly by his mother.
The Thodupuzha boy, a class 2 student at a school at Kumaramangalam near Thodupuzha in Idukki district, was tortured and killed by his 'uncle-turned-step-father'. The boy had a 2-inch crack on his skull and over 20 injury marks on his body when he was brought to a hospital at Kolenchery in Kerala's Ernakulam district. The child died in nine days after being on the ventilator.
Arun Anand, the main accused, was also slapped with charges under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for sexually abusing the younger kid.
Weeks later, a three-year-old boy, who was beaten up in a similar fashion by his mother died at a hospital in Aluva. He was admitted with severe head injuries allegedly inflicted by his mother for being 'disobedient'. The woman, who hails from Jharkhand, was charged with murder (IPC Section 302), Ernakulam City Police Commissioner S Surendran told Manorama News.
A week ago, a young mother was arrested in Cherthala for smothering her infant daughter to death in a fit of rage as the cries of the baby allegedly disturbed her sleep.
Adisha, the daughter of Sharon and Athira from Pattanakkad in Alappuzha district, was found dead under mysterious circumstances. The infant was immediately rushed to the Cherthala taluk hospital. Police was called after the doctor who attended to the case raised suspicions over the death. The parents had claimed that they had found the child motionless during sleep. While there were no notable injuries, the autopsy report cited strangulation as the cause of death.
After the funeral, on questioning the parents further, the mother reportedly admitted to killing the baby.
Athira has been arrested and the cops are investigating if more people are involved.
