42 children rescued from orphanage

As many as 42 children were rescued from an orphanage late Wednesday night, following complaints of severe physical and sexual abuse.

Twenty-three girls and 19 boys were rescued from Church of Christ Home located in Challaghatta by teams from Child Rights Commission, Child Welfare Committee, Childline Bangalore and HAL Airport police. The manager of the orphanage Charles and another person John Williams have been arrested by the Airport police.

According to one of the members involved in the rescue operation, the children were found to bear marks of brutality and in a severely traumatic condition.

The home was registered as a society and not registered either with the Child Welfare Committee or the Department of Women and Child Development as an orphanage.

The children are aged between six and 17 years. The girls have been sent to two centres run by NGOs APSA and Bosco in accordance with the directions of the Child Welfare Committee. A complaint has been lodged with the police and the matter is under investigation.