Sept. 27: The social welfare department and the Thoothukudi district administration are blamed for their failure to monitor unrecognised child welfare homes despite repeated cases of child trafficking and child abuse being reported at several children’s homes in nearby Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts.
The malfunctioning of organisations like the El Shaddai orphanage at Sathankulam, where its director pastor Soundararajan, 56, and his two sons were found to have abused around 12 girls, has brought shame to social welfare activities, said Prof Fathima Babu, who works in the field of child and women’s welfare.
Had vigil over such homes been stepped up at least immediately after the child-trafficking racket at the children’s homes at Valliyoor in Tirunelveli a year ago, at Nallur, near Sucheendram, followed by two more cases of child abuse and trafficking at the children’s homes at Keelamanakudi and Marthandam in Kanyakumari, these 12 girls could have been saved, Prof Fathima Babu said.
According to the people of Maninagar, where El Shaddai orphanage is located, neither the police nor the social welfare department considered their complaints against the pastor and his sons seriously.
Reacting, collector G Prakash said a detailed profile of all welfare organisations and children’s homes and women’s homes in the district would be created with the help of the local police to enhance monitoring.
District social welfare officer Muthunayagam gave strict instructions to around 35 unrecognised homes among the 72 homes and child welfare organisations to immediately apply for recognition. Inspector Rajamani said following complaints from four girls, the children underwent medical check-up Monday. She stated that the second son of the accused would be nabbed soon.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/state-blamed-child-abuse-939
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