16-year-old sexually abused at COVID centre in Pathanamthitta, cleaning staff arrested

abuse
The girl revealed the incident during a counselling session.

Pathanamthitta: A temporary staff of a COVID care centre in Pathanamthitta was arrested on Sunday for sexually abusing a 16-year-old, who was admitted with the infection.

Binu, 30, of Chenneerkkara here has been charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in connection with a recent incident.

According to the Pathanamthitta police, Binu, who was a temporary cleaning staff at a first-line treatment centre, had befriended the teenager who was admitted on August 27 after being tested COVID positive.

The girl was discharged on September 2 after she recovered from the infection. The police said that the accused took the girl in a car the same day. Her family filed a missing complaint the next day when she reportedly went out.

"The girl's family learned about the man on questioning and later during counselling she revealed about the abuse," the police said.

Last September, an ambulance driver was arrested in Pathanamthitta for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old en route to a COVID care centre at Aranmula.

The victim had attempted suicide at a hospital two weeks later.

A couple of months later, another hospital staff in Kozhikode was arrested for a molestation attempt on a woman admitted to a COVID centre.

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