Noted rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy has moved the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over the failure of the Karnataka Government to ensuring safety of children in schools after a six-year-old Odia girl was raped in an upmarket school in East Bangalore.
Tripathy lodged a complaint with the apex human rights watchdog saying that the horrific incident of the alleged gang rape is turning grislier, as police piece together the traumatized child's statements and medical evidence. The class I student was gang-raped by two staffers of the school. The crime took place on the school campus during class hours. The girl, daughter of a software engineer from Odisha, is undergoing treatment in hospital, he said.
Police are yet to escalate the charges in the case. The survivor has to be spoken to in the presence of counselors, as is mandatory under the POCSO Act. It is sure about the involvement of the school staff, and the school will have to bear the vicarious liability as per provisions of the law. Action against the school in whose custody parents’ leave their wards is also required, Tripathy pointed out.
He requested the NHRC to investigate the case, direct the State Government to immediately extend appropriate treatment free of cost to the child, rehabilitate her and her family members with all psycho-social counselling and pay compensation to the victim along with taking action against the errant officials.