In a very shocking incident, an FIR has been filed against a teacher and a trustee of a very prominent IB school in Mumbai for raping two 3-year old KG students.
The incident came to light after a mother of one of the children noticed some bruises on her child’s private parts. She said that there was also a sudden change in her child’s behavior. She registered the case of sexual assault and rape on May 18th. She had approached a Mumbai-based NGO to file a complaint and also filed a rape case under section 376 (2) and relevant sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act against both the trustee and the teacher.
The trustee and the principal of the school were unavailable for any comments. However, the complaint says, “A teacher used to take two kids--both aged three--to the trustee's office during breaks. The incident came to light when the mother of one of the two kids, a girl, noticed bruises on her private parts.”
A spokesperson of Mumbai police says that investigations are on but till date no arrests are made. He also added, “The child was taken to an NGO, who helped the parents file the complaint. Besides the girl, a three-year-old boy was also similarly exploited. The child told the mother that a boy teacher did this to her.”
The trustee issued a statement to the parents via email. The email reads “As (the school) grows and expands sharing light on education, the darkness of the material world also clings to us. In the same way that I prepare (the school) students for the unexpected, I am preparing myself to face the unexpected so that truth will ultimately prevail…I am confident that in due course it would be revealed and clarified that the accusation is unfounded.”
However, this incident brings up the question of how safe our children actually are? The school is one of the most prominent ones in western Mumbai. The incident only highlights the importance of educating your child about sexual abuse and teaching them a few things from a very early age, such as:
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Teach them the difference between good and bad touch. Also the necessity of shouting when they feel something is not right.
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Teach them not to be alone when stepping out. Always be with friends when in school.
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Pay attention to every bruise or cuts on your child’s body and find out the reason behind it.
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Pay attention to your child’s signs of fears and when the child shows signs of distress or aloofness. Talk to them and find out the reason why they are behaving so.
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Be cautious while leaving your child alone with anyone. Always keep an eye on them.
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Ask them questions and make sure you communicate well with them. Ask them about their day and teach them to share everything
