Bekal police register five POCSO cases after sexual abuse of mentally ill minor girl by 5 men
A 17-year-old with a mental illness was allegedly sexually assaulted by five men over a year; five FIRs under the POCSO Act have been registered by Bekal police following a medical examination confirming the abuse.
A 17-year-old with a mental illness was allegedly sexually assaulted by five men over a year; five FIRs under the POCSO Act have been registered by Bekal police following a medical examination confirming the abuse.
A 17-year-old with a mental illness was allegedly sexually assaulted by five men over a year; five FIRs under the POCSO Act have been registered by Bekal police following a medical examination confirming the abuse.
Kasaragod: The Bekal police registered five separate FIRs under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act following allegations that a 17-year-old girl with a mental illness was sexually assaulted by five men over a year.
The survivor was reportedly targeted while living in a rented house in Pallikkara grama panchayat. She and her family had since moved out of the panchayat. According to senior police officers, the girl suffered from a mental illness during the period of the abuse but had since recovered and was now in good health following medical treatment.
While local police received an initial tip-off regarding the abuse around six months ago, the minor was initially unable to open up to the authorities. The police sought the assistance of the Kasaragod Child Welfare Committee (CWC). On Thursday, CWC representatives escorted the girl to the District Hospital in Kanhangad, where a medical examination confirmed she was sexually assaulted multiple times.
Based on the report submitted by the CWC, Bekal police registered five separate cases under the POCSO Act. Two police officers overseeing the case said the five incidents happened in different time periods and were unconnected, with each suspect allegedly assaulting the girl on one separate occasion. There were no complaints of repetitive abuse by the same individual.
Bekal police said the survivor had identified three of the accused, who have been named in three separate FIRs. Two of these suspects work as autorickshaw drivers, while the third is a friend of one of the drivers. The girl was unable to recall the names of the remaining two individuals. However, police suspect that the fourth individual is the brother of one of the autorickshaw drivers.
According to the police, the girl was assaulted first by an auto driver, and after that, the four accused abused her. The names of the accused were currently being withheld as their arrests were not officially recorded yet. According to sources, police have detained the three men named by the girl and have "strong clues" on the other two.