Kerala shelter home director arrested again for allegedly raping minor inmates

Joseph Mathew, who was arrested in July 2017 for raping a 12-year-old girl, has been re-arrested for raping four other minor girls.

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Months after Kerala police arrested a 59-year-old man for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl, the police have registered another case against him. This time, on allegations of raping several other girls.

Joseph Mathew, who was the director of the now-defunct shelter home called Ashwasa Bhavan in Kottayam district, was arrested on Wednesday, for allegedly raping several minor girls who were inmates there.

The arrest was made based on complaints filed by four minors, aged between 5 and 14, who resided at the shelter home Joseph ran, a few years ago.

Joseph, who also ran an organisation called Corrections India for the welfare of prisoners, started Ashwasa Bhavan nearly 25 years ago.

The Pampady police, who arrested Joseph have now charged him under relevant sections of POCSO, Juvenile Justice Act and section 376 of IPC. Pampady Sub-Inspector told TNM that they are set to produce Joseph before a magistrate.

According to the police, the new case was filed against Joseph after the four children- aged 5, 8,13 and 14 years- revealed in a counselling session that they were abused multiple times by Joseph two years ago.

Incidentally, Joseph was exposed last year, when a 12-year-old girl revealed to her school teachers during a counselling session that she had been raped multiple times.

After Joseph was arrested in July 2017, all the 12 children (including the girl who filed the first complaint) were shifted to other shelter homes. Joseph secured bail from the court, and police filed a chargesheet in the case a few months ago.

Joseph was working as a chartered accountant in the US, before he quit his job to start the shelter home.

These are some helpful contact numbers of authorities in Kerala:

Childline: 1098

State women’s helpline: 1091

State Vanitha cell (TVM): 0471-2338100

Vanitha helpline number of Kerala police: 99953 99953

You can find more emergency numbers here.