Orphanage caretakers, aides held as kids cry sexual abuse at legal awareness event

The accused — T Jacob (64) and his wife Vimala Jacob (59) of Villivakkam, D Baskar (39) of Ayanavaram and R Muthu (27) of Tirumullaivoyal — were booked under the POCSO Act on Thursday and a hunt has been launched for another accused, Babu Samuel.

Police said that all five sexually abused several boys and girls of Eternal Word Children’s Home for Boys and Girls at Saraswathy Nagar, Tirumullaivoyal. While Jacob and Vimala are the trustees of the Eternal World Trust (Nithya Varthai Siluvai Sangam), Baskar and Muthu worked as maintenance staff in the orphanage. 

Incidentally, the incidents came to light during a legal awareness programme conducted at a government school in Ettiamman Nagar on Thursday. Four minor girls at the home complained about the abuse in front of magistrates of Ambattur court participating at the programme.

Avadi all-women police inspector Shobarani who was also present at the event, said she was shocked to hear that the girls had been sexually abused for over three years and immediately conducted an inquiry at the orphanage as per directions issued by the magistrates. Since other inmates of the Home also levelled allegations of sexual abuse against the stakeholders of the trust, police immediately arrested the four persons. Babu Samuel, warden of the orphanage, is on the run.

Following the arrest, the children were shifted to other homes by Child Welfare Committee members. Around 48 boys and girls, aged between 5 and 15 years of age, have been staying in two separate orphanages of the trust in the same locality, which are being run since 2000.

A month ago, 17 maintenance staff of a gated community in Ayanavaram were arrested under the POCSO Act for molesting a minor for over six months.