There is shock and panic in Kerala after complaints of sexual and physical abuse of minor children in the Thiruvanjoor Juvenile Home in Kottayam. The juvenile home set up under the Social Welfare Department of the state government, falls in chief minister Oommen Chandy's constituency.These children were reportedly abused sexually and physically by the caretakers. 65 children live in the home. A distraught victim describes how the abuse happened. "They take their pants off and do(obscene) things to us," she explains. Another victim says how they were beaten and threatened if they didn't follow orders. "We were made to take our shirts and pants off," he says.Mr Chandy has asked the matter to be enquired into.Though immediate orders have been passed to transfer the caretakers, people have been asking what will stop them from doing the same at other places.A month ago, a few caretakers from the same home were taken into custody for beating up a teenage girl, but were let off immediately.

Very tough laws protect the juvenile centres in Kerala, which as reports suggest are misused in many centres with lack of checks on caretakers and secrecy in their day to day functioning.