CLASSROOM

Supreme Court guidelines

traumatised

CCTV cameras

police commissioner

pre-schools

THE HORRIFIC INCIDENT HAPPENED WITHIN SCHOOL PREMISESACCUSED RAPED THE KID WITHIN 15 METRES OF HERIN SCHOOL VANONE OF THE AYAHS OF THE SCHOOL HANDED OVER THE KID TO THE ACCUSEDSCHOOL DID NO BACKGROUND CHECK ON ACCUSED, SUSPECTED OF FOUR SIMILAR RAPESA two-year-and-eleven-month-old girl was raped by the van driver of a leading, upscale playschool in HSR Layout, barely 15 metres away from her classroom. The ghastly crime has not only scarred the fledgling mind of the victim beyond the describable, but has also shattered the peace of the affluent family to which she belongs. Sickening as the crime has been, what is more appalling is the attitude of the police in investigating the crime, and the kid-glove manner in which the school authorities have been handled.The parents of the child hold the school equally responsible for the crime. The school charges between Rs 50,000 and Rs 60,000 per annum (excluding van fees of about Rs 1,500 a month). “Our child was raped in the school premises by a member of their (non-teaching) staff and yet no action has been taken against the school,” lament the parents. “We are paying hefty fees. Is it not the duty of the school to ensure the safety of its wards? How can the school be absolved of the blame?”The crime came to light on the evening of January 8 this year and the van driver was arrested the next day. The van, in which he allegedly raped the child, was seized. From there on, the action of the police gets murky. In what points to a wink-wink deal between the school and the police, the van, in which the driver is said to have raped the child, was released a few days later. The school is also said to have appointed a lawyer for the van driver. BM is not revealing the name of the school, parents or those quoted in this report since it could reveal the identity of the victim, which is againstThe school is among a group of 700 schools across the country which offers “path-breaking and comprehensive solutions for quality teaching and learning”. Its promoter has been hailed by leading magazines and dailies as one of the top leaders changing education in the country. The parents of the child have written to the Child Rights Commission raising several questions and pointing out loopholes by the school authorities.One of the questions, is the complicity of an ayah, another employee of the school, in the crime. The ayah is said to have taken the child from class and handed her over to the van driver. Yet the school has shrugged off any questions pertaining to the ayah. The police too appear to have given her a clean chit as she is the wife of a Karnataka State Reserve Police constable.The parents accuse the local police, especially the assistant commissioner of police (Madiwala), who is an investigating officer, of aiding and abetting the school and the ayah involved in the crime. “When the school collects hefty fees, it cannot shrug off responsibility,” said a well known television actress who is helping thefamily. She was speaking on behalf of the child’s parents. “They should be punished as a warning to others.''The actress revealed that the child is so traumatised by the incident that she is afraid of even shadows. “From deep slumber, she wakes up crying.” The child’s mother learnt of the atrocity inflicted on her daughter while preparing to give her a bath. She noticed the injuries to her private parts and questioned her. Since the child, could not explain what the driver had done, she burst into tears. "I was crying and ayah handed me over to the van driver,“ the girl told her mother. “Van driver is bad and he has hurt me. The ayah is a bad girl, beat her." Realising what had happened, the girl’s parents immediately filed a police complaint.“I don't think the girl will ever go to a place if her parents do not accompany her,” the actress said. “Doctors are still treating her for the injuries. The family will perhaps never recover from this incident. Strong police action against the accused will provide them strength. Instead, the police are doing everything to the contrary.”The driver in his confession statement given to the police has admitted that this is not the first time he has sexually assaulted kids. “He has admitted his involvement in four other cases of rape on children,” the actress said. “Police have not bothered to find out who the other four victims of this devil are. Is it not irresponsible behaviour? To cap it all, the school authorities had the audacity to call the parents and request them to send the girl to their school again. They saidhave been installed in the school premises and such incidents will not happen again. How can we send the child to that school again?”Reacting to the parents version, school principal, said, “It is an unfortunate incident. All that we know is the girl was crying in the class. The ayah took her out and handed her to the driver. We came to know about the sexual assault on the girl when the police came to the school on January 9 and took the driver into custody. After this incident, we have installed CCTV cameras. We spoke to the parents and assured them that their child will be taken care in the school if they send her back. We have removed all the male staff.”The family says the school had appointed the van driver without conducting a background check. “How can a woman who is pregnant (ayah is carrying) push a girl into the lap of a devil?” the actress asked. “She is not the designated ayah for that class. Why did she take the girl with her and hand her over to the driver? There is something seriously wrong here. She has to be probed.”When asked what action had been taken against the Ayah, the principal said. “We could not probe the role of ayah because she has stopped attending school. When we called her, her husband answered the phone and told us not to contact her any more. He curtly told us that they have told the police what has to be told.”When queried why they have provided legal help for the driver as being alleged by the victim's family, a partner of the school management said, “We have not appointed any advocate to support the accused. We have an advocate who only got the van seized by the police released. We are thinking of closing down the school.”B S Shantha Kumar, ACP (Madiwala), stoutly denied allegations made by the victim's family. “We have taken up a case of negligence against the school management. Accused driver has been arrested and sent to the jail. What else can we do other than this?'' Asked why no action has been taken against the ayah and the school management and he had no answer.Raghavendra Auradkar,, while assuring the child’s family of every possible action to punish the guilty, absolved the school of any wrongdoing.“We cannot take action against the school since they are not involved in the crime,” Auradkar said. “We have written a letter to the education department asking them to initiate action against the school like cancelling the approval given to them. But the education department says it can do little since it has no authority over.”To The Chairperson Child Rights Commission BangaloreAs parents we had handed over our 2 years 11 mbnth old baby to the school authorities, and the ghastly incident has happened within the school premises and during the school hours.Our baby narrates the incident as " I was crying and female attendant had handed me over to the Van driver. Van driver is bad and he has hurt me etc .........attendant is a bad girl, beat her."Baby also says Van was in the school and he had hurt me inside the Van" This has raised multiple questions on the loopholes by the school authorities1) How can a 2 year 11 month old toddler get sexually assaulted inside the school premises, and the school authorities seem to be unaware of this incident? 2) It is the responsibility of the class teacher to take care of the small toddlers the class. How could the teacher allow the child to be taken out of the class during the class hours? 3) How did the class teacher not notice that the child was missing from the class for half an hour? 4) When the baby came back home on the day of the incident, the baby was only in her top and diapers and the track pant was in the bag (socks were missing and was never found). How did the class teacher and the Principal miss a situation that the child was only in diaper and her track pants and socks were missing? 5) Where were the security guards at the school and at the school building compound when the incident was happening? 6) How did the baby reach the female attendant hands and then the driver? And how did this go unnoticed by the class teacher or by the principal? Are they possible abetters to the crime? 7) How can the attendant handover the baby to the Van driver? The female attendants would possibly be witness to the crime if not an abetter to the same. Based on the above, shouldn't the School and the School authorities be COMPLETElY responsible for this heinous crime on my 2 and half year old baby. Please take appropriate action against the appropriate authorities and persons responsible for this heinous crime.Yours faithfully