2 weeks Ago By Ram Sundaram
HORROR HOME: Sathya Prakash worked at Annai Sathya Govt Children’s home for providing training on ‘good touch and bad touch’ CHENNAI: Several girls living in a government-run home for survivors of sexual offences, child marriage and abandonment in Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu have been subjected to sexual harassment by a male counsellor, police said. Police arrested Sathya Prakash, 43, of Karur, under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. Prakash, who was employed to provide training on 'good touch and bad touch,' to the girls of Annai Sathya Government Children's Home, had been abusing them for several months, police said.
He allegedly coerced the girls into discussing their past abuse or marriage, and sometimes made them stand alone for extended periods while he stared at them. He claimed to be their dance trainer and forced them to dance, police said. As per the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules, 2016, only female staff should be appointed at facilities that house girls.
Despite this, Prakash had been working here since 2021. The local child welfare committee had raised concerns in June about the presence of male staff, but no action was taken. Child welfare department director Johny Tom Varghese said the rules prohibit only males as permanent employees.
“Prakash was an empanelled temporary employee. We will conduct a thorough inquiry and make sure those who did wrong are punished. Hereafter, we would not have male employees in such homes,” Johny Tom Varghese said.
Sources said many girls had complained against Prakash since 2021, but the local authorities ignored them. Initially granted weekend access to the home, Prakash was later allowed to handle weekday classes as well. Pressure from the child welfare committee finally led to a police complaint being filed on Sept 16 by five of the 50 inmates.
Prakash, however, was allowed to visit the home as late as Sept 18. “There are still male employees, including another counsellor, and they should be removed immediately,” said Natharsha Malim H, state coordinator of Tamil Nadu Bachpan Bachao Andolan, an organisation that works for children’s rights. Zaheeruddin Mohamad, a former member of the child welfare committee, criticised the home’s superintendent Sasikala for not addressing the situation early enough.
“Action should be taken against her too,” he said..
