The police in Malayinkeezhu in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday arrested a 26-year-old man for sexually abusing a five-year-old girl and her older brother, aged nine. The police said the boy was undergoing treatment for cancer.
The accused, Vinod, a resident of Kuttichal here, is a close relative of the siblings’ mother.
The boy is learnt to have told his mother about the abuse. Later, with the help of one of his teachers, she informed members of the district Childline, leading to police action.
According to the police, the siblings were being abused for a couple of months. Vinod used to visit their house under the pretext of enquiring about the boy’s health. He had threatened the children against speaking about the abuse. Two cases have been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
Kerala has, over the past couple of weeks, seen at least six cases of rape and sexual abuse of minors registered, leading to a renewed debate on the safety of women and children in the state. The police is facing allegations of having bungled the investigation into an alleged suicide of two minor sisters, aged 14 and nine, in Walayar in Palakkad district. Reports have since emerged on the possibilities of the girls having been abused.
A Catholic priest, Fr Robin Vadakkancheril, was arrested last month for the rape of a minor in Kannur. In Kalpetta, Wayanad, six men were on Monday held for sexually abusing seven minor girls, all inmates of an orphanage.
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