Malappuram Sex Racket: Schools Boys Recount Horror Of 'Vigorous Penetrative Sexual Assault'

A sex racket has been busted in Malappuram by Kerala police and the Child Welfare Committee, in which a group of over ten men has sexually abused and drugged many underage boys from a school in Kondotty. Out of six boys, five have confirmed that their abusers subjected them to vigorous penetrative sexual assault, The News Minute reported.

The incident

According to CWC Malappuram co-ordinator Anwar, this incident came to light when one of the boys’ families contacted them when they noticed their child behaving oddly.

“When we questioned them, the boys revealed that they were offered marijuana and abused. They were also given commission for luring other boys into the racket. As of now, we know that six victims (all boys) from the same school have been identified. Through them we hope to identify and speak to other children,” said Anwar.

Most of the children subjected to this torture belong to higher secondary classes and middle school. Although some children have recently turned 18, they will still be allowed to complain under The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) act till the age of 25.

Case registered against perpetrators

Cases against the perpetrators have been registered in places like Malappuram’s Manjeri and Kondotty, although they mostly come from in and around Kondotty.

“We have registered cases against 4 of the accused under Section 377 of the IPC and sections 5 and 6 of the POCSO Act, which deals with aggravated sexual assault. We have made three arrested till now,” said an officer from the Kondotty police station. The DYSP of Malappuram is also investigating the cases as the SC/ST act applied to a few of the victims.

“We have registered 4 cases under section 377 of the IPC and sections 3 (use of a child for pornographic purposes) and 4 (abetment of an attempt to commit an offence) and 5 and 6 of POCSO,” confirmed the Malappuram DYSP officer.

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) act 2012

The POCSO Act protects children from sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and pornography. Provisions to avoid the re-victimization of children by the judicial system were also made by the act. On June 19, 2012, the POCSO Act received the President’s assent. The next day, it was notified in the Gazette of India. Offences such as penetrative and non-penetrative assault, sexual harassment, pornography, and more fall under the act.

Under the act, it is the legal duty of someone who is aware of the crimes to report the same, and failing to do so can result in the person being imprisoned for as long as six months, reported Financial Express. Depending on the gravity of the offence, the accused will be imprisoned for not more than ten years and may extend to life imprisonment. The act also punishes child traffickers who traffic children and abuse them sexually.

The Logical Indian urges authorities to look into the matter and provide strict punishment to the perpetrators.

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