The Koodal Police in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district have registered two First Information Reports (FIRs) under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) following a complaint from a 13-year-old Class IX female student of a school in the district that she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by her classmates. The incident came to light on July 3, during a routine counseling session conducted at the survivor’s school.
Five juveniles including four boys and a girl have been booked by the police in the incident. According to the complaint, four boys allegedly sexually assaulted the minor on multiple occasions, while the girl allegedly facilitated the abuse. The survivor told police that the incidents took place near the school and at the house of the girl named in the case.
The police are coordinating directly with members of the District Child Welfare Committee (CWC) to record the formal statements of the identified juveniles. Since all the accused individuals are minors, the entire legal proceedings and interrogation framework are strictly dictated by the rules of the Juvenile Justice Act.
The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has suo motu registered a case in the incident. Commission Chairperson KV Manoj Kumar took action based on media reports. The Commission has asked the District Child Protection Officer, Pathanamthitta District Police Chief and the Child Welfare Committee to conduct an immediate investigation into the incident and submit a report.