Kerala: 3 Caretakers Arrested For Injuring Toddler's Private Parts Over Bedwetting

The two-and-a-half-year-old girl and her younger sister, who have been residing at the facility after losing their parents, are now under medical care and observation.

In a case of child abuse, three women caretakers of the Kerala State Child Welfare Committee (CWC) have been arrested for allegedly injuring a two-and-a-half-year-old girl’s private parts as punishment for wetting her bed. The incident occurred at a child welfare facility managed by the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare (KSCCW).

The accused, identified as Ajitha, Maheswari, and Sindhu, face charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act, as per a report on India Today. According to police, the injuries, caused by pinching, were discovered when the child was taken for an unrelated medical issue to Thycaud Women and Children Hospital. The examination revealed fingernail marks, with the injuries estimated to be about a week old.

The incident came to light on Sunday after staff noticed the injuries and reported the matter. Following an investigation initiated by a hospital report, it was revealed that the girl had been assaulted by the caretakers as punishment for bedwetting, reported News 18.

On Tuesday, the police arrested the three women from the facility and KSCCW terminated the services of all seven contractual caretakers who were on duty during the week of the incident. Arun Gopi, General Secretary of the Child Welfare Committee, stated that this decisive action was taken to ensure accountability and the safety of children at the center.

The young girl and her younger sister, who have been residing at the facility after losing their parents, are now under medical care and observation.

In a school in Noida, a 3-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a housekeeping staffer at a private school in the city. The accused reportedly took the child to a place without CCTV and sexually assaulter her in October 2024. Later, the issue came to light after the parents noticed that the child was unusally silent and also reportedly complained of lower abdomen pain following which the parents took her to a hospital.