Child sexual abuse cases on the rise in district, Nilgiris

Times of India
September 20, 2020

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/child-sexual-abuse-cases-on-the-rise-in-district-nilgiris/articleshow/78210129.cms

Coimbatore: A 60-year-old temple priest was detained on Saturday for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl near Periyanaickenpalayam in the west zone police limits, from where 296 cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012 have been reported until September 17 this year.
According to a police officer, the girl, a Class XII student of a private school, was alone at her house on Friday evening when the priest visited her residence and sexually assaulted her.

“As he was leaving the minor girl’s house, her younger brother, who had gone out to play with friends, noticed him and altered his father. The girl’s parents later inquired with her and she revealed them what happened,” the officer said.
The girl’s father subsequently lodged a complaint against the priest with the Periyanaickenpalayam police on Saturday.

A team of police picked up the priest for interrogation on the day. He was later booked under various sections of Pocso Act. Further investigation is on.
As per the data available with the office of west zone inspector general of police (IGP), 296 Pocso cases were reported in their limits this year as on Thursday, compared to 305 in the same period last year. The west zone consists of Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Tirupur, Erode, Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts.
In Coimbatore district, the number of Pocso cases has gone up to 47 this year from 44 last year. All the cases are under trail before the special court of Pocso cases.
In the Nilgiris, Pocso cases have more than doubled to 41 from 20 during the period. In Erode district, there was a marginal drop in the cases to 55 from 58. In Tirupur, Namakkal, Salem, Dhamapuri and Krishnagiri districts also Pocso cases have come down.
K Periaiah, west zone IGP, said parents were aware about the crime against children and many of them have been coming forward to lodge complaints with police. As a result, he said, more number of Pocso cases were getting reported. “We won’t reveal the identity of the victim or her family details at any situation. Parents should spend some time with their children and teach them about good touch and bad touch and ask them to alert them if anyone tires to misbehave with them.”
He said officers in the rank of additional deputy superintendent of police (crime against women and children) have been closely monitoring Pocso cases in each district.