General Manager, Church of Christ officials detained for sexually harassing children
Sudhir-Architect
BANGALORE:
Two officials of a non-governmental organisation were detained by police for
allegedly sexually harassing and brutally assaulting children at its shelter.
Devanahalli Airport police station officers confirmed that John Charles,
general manager, Church of Christ, an NGO located on Bellary Road in
Chellaghatta, and board member, John Williams, were picked up for questioning.
They said a case with multiple charges, including sexual abuse and assault,
will be booked against the duo after interrogation. On Wednesday evening, Child
Welfare Committee (CWC) members raided the home following a complaint lodged
with them through Childline, a children's helpline, on Tuesday night by
anonymous persons and rescued 42 children -
19 girls and 23 boys all between the age of 8 and 18.
Nina Nayak, chairperson, Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child
Rights (KSCPCR), said girls in the home told counsellors they had been sexually
abused. After the complaint from Childline, CWC first visited the home and
realized the matter was grave before conducting the raid.
CWC members told TOI there were visible injury marks on the children's bodies.
All the children will be relocated to different homes and will be produced
before the CWC court. Two girls have been sent back to their parents.
"We're moving the remaining girls to the APSA home nearby and the boys
will be moved to the Don Bosco home. On Thursday, boys will be produced in the
CWC Court No 1 and girls in CWC Court No 2 on Friday," said Meena Jain,
chairman, CWC Court No 2.
Sister Jesme from church in Kerala alleged that harassment, sexual repression, exploitation of children by priests & clandestine same sex relations take place behind every closed doors of Church’s in India.
BANGALORE: Many heartrending stories unfolded when 42 children, who
were rescued from a children's home in Chellagatta on Old Airport Road, were
produced before the child welfare committee (CWC) court on Thursday. CWC
members had raided the Church of Christ Home on Wednesday evening.
The children revealed many a story about how they were allegedly
assaulted by John Charles, general manager of the home. One of the rescued kids
told committee members that he was allegedly beaten up by Charles daily for no
apparent reason at all.
One of the children - a six-year-old - showed the marks on his arm and
told the CWC authorities: "He would abuse us in very filthy language and
beat us with sticks." One of the girls studying in PUC told the members
that Charles ensured there were no latches fixed to the doors in the home and
he would come to the room when they were undressing. No women was employed at
the home despite it housing girls. Parents of the children were asked not to
come to the orphanage.
Investigators said Charles would warn parents against visiting the home
because it would expose him to the funding agencies. Hapless parents, who
couldn't afford to raise their children, agreed to the conditions allegedly
laid down by Charles.
Only two among the 42 children were orphans, rest of them belonged to
families that were not well off. Of those rescued, two girls were take back by
their parents. For the rest, CWC members are trying to locate their parents to
send them home.
Police have shut the institution as no permission was taken from the urban
deputy commissioner, child right commission for running an institution for
children. The institution did not have any record of the family background of
the children and any record of them being enrolled in the institution either.
Thanks & Regards,
Sudhir Srinivasan
B.Arch, MSc.CPM, Dip.ID, Dip.CAD, Dip.PM
| Architect |