The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an action-taken report (ATR) from the State Government on the reported incident of a French tourist having unnatural sex with children at the Puri sea beach.
Acting on a complaint filed by human rights activist Akhand, the commission has ordered the State Government to file the ATR within six weeks. The commission has issued notice to the Puri
district Collector and SP in this regard.
It may be recalled that French national Mathieu Furic was booked for allegedly indulging in unnatural sex with children on the beach. Apprehending trouble, Furic flew back to his home country before the police could reach him.
Furic had arrived in Puri on November 18 and checked out of his hotel on November 26 immediately after a US national James Foster Gorman caught him in the act with a group of boys on the Penthakata beach in Puri the same day. The police said Furic’s age is between 45 and 50. The police lodged a case after Gorman handed over the footage of a recorded conversation Furic had with the children to them.
Furic has been booked under Sections 323 (causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation), 341 (wrongful restraint) of IPC and Sections 12 and 18 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. Akhand has alleged that it was due to the negligence and delayed action of the police that Furic managed to leave for France.
He has lamented that victims of sexual abuse are neither well-compensated nor properly rehabilitated in the country.