CHENNAI: Police and child welfare committee (CWC) officials rescued 15 children of an orphanage near Medavakkam on Thursday after a sponsor complained of child abuse and poor living conditions.
Police said the orphanage had children of single parents too. Soon after the Kancheepuram district collector's order to close down Vallalar Gurukulam on Wednesday, 15 children were taken away by their guardians. Orphanage director Vinod Kumar moved the rest of the children to an apartment in Velachery, from where police rescued them on Thursday. These children have been moved to a government children's home.
Police have registered a case against Kumar under Section 23 and 24 of Juvenile Justice Act (punishment for exposing a child to any form of cruelty) against the owner Vinoth Kumar based on a formal complaint by Kancheepuram district social welfare officer Sargunam. "No arrests have been made so far. The district social welfare officer will conduct an inquiry with the children and file a report based on which we will take action," said Pallikaranai inspector R Alagu.
One of the sponsors had complained that the living conditions in the orphanage were poor and the children were being abused. CWC members conducted an inspection on Wednesday. CWC members said the children were crammed into two small rooms in the orphanage, separate for boys and girls. The place had only two toilets, and the boys had no bathroom. "Though the sponsor has complained of physical abuse of children, we are yet to get such a statement from a child," said an official.
Orphanages in Tamil Nadu have been in the news for the wrong reasons, including child sexual abuse and trafficking. In November 2008, TOI exposed how some orphanages in Mamallapuram had become hotbeds of child sexual abuse, often by foreign tourists. "Mamallapuram is notorious for orphanages that have become cottage industries," said Salma, former chairperson of Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Board, who issued closure notices to more than 30 orphanages.
Vidya Reddy, director of Tulir, Centre for the Prevention and Healing of Child Sexual Abuse, said there should be a separate directorate of residential facilities for children-out-of-homecare. "Why should there be so many orphanages in this state? If these children really matter to our government, there should be a body with independent charge looking at licensing of orphanages, their inspection and action against violators," she said.
Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/15-rescued-from-orphanage-after-complaint-of-abuse/articleshow/35740560.cms
Police said the orphanage had children of single parents too. Soon after the Kancheepuram district collector's order to close down Vallalar Gurukulam on Wednesday, 15 children were taken away by their guardians. Orphanage director Vinod Kumar moved the rest of the children to an apartment in Velachery, from where police rescued them on Thursday. These children have been moved to a government children's home.
Police have registered a case against Kumar under Section 23 and 24 of Juvenile Justice Act (punishment for exposing a child to any form of cruelty) against the owner Vinoth Kumar based on a formal complaint by Kancheepuram district social welfare officer Sargunam. "No arrests have been made so far. The district social welfare officer will conduct an inquiry with the children and file a report based on which we will take action," said Pallikaranai inspector R Alagu.
One of the sponsors had complained that the living conditions in the orphanage were poor and the children were being abused. CWC members conducted an inspection on Wednesday. CWC members said the children were crammed into two small rooms in the orphanage, separate for boys and girls. The place had only two toilets, and the boys had no bathroom. "Though the sponsor has complained of physical abuse of children, we are yet to get such a statement from a child," said an official.
Orphanages in Tamil Nadu have been in the news for the wrong reasons, including child sexual abuse and trafficking. In November 2008, TOI exposed how some orphanages in Mamallapuram had become hotbeds of child sexual abuse, often by foreign tourists. "Mamallapuram is notorious for orphanages that have become cottage industries," said Salma, former chairperson of Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Board, who issued closure notices to more than 30 orphanages.
Vidya Reddy, director of Tulir, Centre for the Prevention and Healing of Child Sexual Abuse, said there should be a separate directorate of residential facilities for children-out-of-homecare. "Why should there be so many orphanages in this state? If these children really matter to our government, there should be a body with independent charge looking at licensing of orphanages, their inspection and action against violators," she said.
Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/15-rescued-from-orphanage-after-complaint-of-abuse/articleshow/35740560.cms
No comments:
Post a Comment