Kerala: Woman Booked Under POCSO Act For Raping A 9-Yr-Old Boy For Over A Year

In a shocking incident, a 36-year-old woman was booked by the Thenhippalam police for allegedly raping a nine-year-old boy in the Malappuram district of Kerala, reported the Times Of India. The police said that the boy revealed about the incident for the first time to a doctor of a local clinic. Understanding the issue, the doctor informed Childline authorities, who later recorded the statement of the boy and forwarded a complaint to the police. The police have slammed Sections 5 and 6 of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act on the woman. This sections of the act deal with aggravated penetrative sexual assault.

What did the Childline Authorities Say

The Childline authorities said that the boy was facing sexual abuse for more than a year. The Childline (Malappuram) coordinator Anwar Karakkadan said that they have confirmed that the woman sexually abused the boy for several months. This has significantly affected the mental health of the child. They have found out that the woman is the boy’s uncle’s wife and they live near his house.

Sub-inspector of Thenhippalam police station, Binu Thomas said that the case was registered on the basis of the statement provided to Childline. He also said that more details will be revealed during the investigation. He said that the cops have got to know that there was a conflict between the family of the boy and the accused. The police are checking whether there is any connection between the dispute and the allegation. He further said that the police will record a statement from the accused in the coming days.

In another similar incident, a woman was arrested in Ernakulam for sexually abusing a nine-year-old cancer patient.

What Is the POCSO Act?

The POCSO or the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012 was brought to protect children against sexual harassment, pornography, and sexual abuse. The act was formed to cater a child-friendly system for trial underneath which the miscreants could be punished. According to the act, a child is defined as any person under eighteen years of age. The act received President’s assent on June 19, 2012. It was added in the Gazette of Indian on June 2012. 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.

The Logical Indian Take

This is again a case where the preparator of sexual abuse is an acquaintance of the victim. Even the crime was taking place for months, none of the family members got to know if there is anything going wrong. Parents need to be more careful at the same time when it comes to their children. The Logical Indian requests its community members to inform about any such acts to the police or the Childine authorities.

Also Read: TN: For Allegedly Asking Minor Rape Victim To Lie In Court, Govt Lawyer Terminated