School Defends Staffer After 3.5-Yr-Old’s Alleged Sexual Assault

A case has been filed against the accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

An anti-rape protest. Photo used for representational purpose. (Photo: The Quint)

In yet another case of alleged sexual assault on a child at a school in Bengaluru, a three-and-a half-year-old child was allegedly molested by a helper at a play school in a popular suburb in the city.

The child’s parents filed a complaint on Friday, after which, Manjunath, a non-teaching staff at the school, was arrested by the police.

The child complained of abdominal pain on Friday, so we took her to a hospital. The doctors suspected that she may have been sexually abused and we filed a complaint on the same day and the police arrested Manjunath immediately

a person close to the parents told <i>TNM</i>.

After the incident came to light, many other parents came forward saying that their children had been complaining about pain as well, and complained of not wanting to go to the play school, the person added.

A case has been filed against Manjunath under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Marathahalli police are probing the incident.

The director of the play school, Veena, told reporters that Manjunath had been fired on Saturday. He had been working at the play school for eight years, and the principal claimed that a thorough background check had been conducted before he was hired.

She also said that the CCTV footage of the school had already been handed over to the police.

However, parents of the children in the school have camped outside the school saying that the principal defended Manjunath.

“The principal now wants to get him out on bail. She is saying that he did nothing wrong and that he is a trusted employee as he has been working at the play school for many years,” a parent said.

The school has 160 children and 35 teaching and non-teaching staff.

In July 2014, two gym instructors were arrested in connection with the sexual assault of a six-year-old girl in Bengaluru’s Vibgyor High School. The parents of the child had filed a complaint with the police after the school authorities allegedly refused to respond to their concern about their child being sexually abused. The child had complained of stomach pain and was taken to a doctor.