How Could You? Hall of Shame-India Arya Orphanage-child death UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Delhi, India, “The Delhi Police may file more FIRs on the sexual abuse of children at central Delhi’s Arya Orphanage amid suspicion that a sex racket thrived at the premises.

A report by NGO Haq: Centre for Child Rights has stated that children there were paraded before outsiders. The male inmates and staff had free access to the female section.

This orphanage also housed the 14-year-old girl who brought the battered baby to AIIMS. She reportedly lived there for some time before running away.

The police and government have begun separate probes into the alleged sexual and physical assaults. “An inquiry by the child welfare committee confirmed cases of sexual abuse. Some children were afraid to speak out. Safety of the victims is paramount. We are looking at shifting some of them to our own shelters,” said Delhi women and child welfare minister Kiran Walia.

A 14-year-old boy nabbed for allegedly raping an 11-year-old girl, too, has mentioned instances of sexual abuse. The girl died in December.

“We are verifying the complaints. The parents of another boy have claimed he was sodomised. We will do a medical test and register a separate FIR,” said a police officer.

The police and government have begun separate probes into the alleged sexual and physical assaults. “An inquiry by the child welfare committee confirmed cases of sexual abuse. Some children were afraid to speak out. Safety of the victims is paramount. We are looking at shifting some of them to our own shelters,” said Delhi women and child welfare minister Kiran Walia.”

The inquiry also found that 1,000 children were living in this unregistered orphanage that has one entrance for boys and girls, no counselor and has a history of an August 2009 rape case.

Probe smells sex racket in Delhi orphanage
[Hindustan Times 2/12/12 by Neelam Pandey & Faizan Haider]

“The police on Sunday filed another FIR in the case, in which a 12-year-old boy inmate was sodomised. His medical examination, conducted on Saturday confirmed sodomy. Police officials said the victim’s mother was aware of the incident, but could not gather the courage to file an official complaint.

“It was only after reading media reports that the victim’s mother approached us. Her son, who lived in the orphanage, had complained of being sexually abused during our visit, but we needed an official complaint to register an FIR. Finally, a case of sodomy was registered on Sunday,” said a senior police officer, requesting not to be named.

On Saturday, HT had highlighted cases of alleged serial sexual abuse that children suffered at Arya Orphanage.

A report by NGO Haq: Centre for Child Rights, compiled on the basis of interviews and interaction with children living in the orphanage, gave shocking stories of alleged sexual and physical abuse in the facility.

The NGO started the investigation on behalf of the Delhi Police after an 11-year-old girl inmate died after allegedly being physically and sexually abused for over six months. A 14-year-old boy, who lived in the orphanage, was apprehended for raping her.

“The 12-year-old boy, whose complaint was registered on Sunday, has also been sodomised by the same boy. He said this during counselling,” said a police officer.

“This 14-year-old had been sexually assaulting other younger boys and girls too. So far, he has confessed to sodomising five boys,” added the official. The victim has been shifted to another shelter home and his custody has been handed over to his mother.

Police said when they had visited Arya Orphanage to carry out an investigation into the death of the 11-year-old girl, they heard about many cases of abuse. “But we can only investigate cases in which either the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) or child’s parents are complainants,” said an officer.

“Although children have shared their trauma with us, the government needs to file an official complaint if it wants an FIR to be filed in each case. In this case, the boy’s parents have come forward and we lodged an FIR after his medical examination was carried out,” the officer added.

Police are now trying to contact the parents of children who had approached them during their visit to convince them register an official complaint.”

More tales in orphanage closet
[Hindustan Times 2/12/12 by  Faizan Haider & Neelam Pandey]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

The children need to be examined, placed in a registered facility or get this facility to be compliant; many need to be fired and arrested and tried in the courts as it appears that there is a horrendous pattern in this place.

We will be adding “child death” to the titles of all of our How Could You posts to further distinguish the numerous cases in our archives.

Update: “After appointing an administrator to manage the operation of the Arya orphanage at Daryaganj, the Delhi government is now planning to carry out a state-level inquiry into the alleged abuse of inmates to get to the root of the problem and evolve mechanisms to prevent such violations in all homes.

Making it clear that the orphanage case was a “very sensitive matter” and should not be “politicized by any lobby”, chief minister Sheila Dikshit directed the women and child department on Sunday to dwell deeper into the matter as the future of over a 1,000 children is at stake. Chief secretary P K Tripathi is expected to hold a review of the case in a day or two.”

Orphanage abuse: Govt plans state-level probe
[Times of India 2/20/12 by Ambika Pandit]

Update 2: “Over 200 people protested at Jantar Mantar on Monday, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation probe in cases of sexual abuse at Arya Anathalaya and alleging that the perpetrators still continued to work at the Daryaganj orphanage.”

“An 11-year-old girl had died at the orphanage following alleged sexual abuse.

Child rights activists, former staff of Arya Anathalaya and concerned parents claimed that the employees involved in abuse against children still worked at the the orphanage.

“There are loopholes in the process of monitoring the orphanages. The foster care scheme in Delhi has not been implemented so far. No inspection committee has been formed till date to keep a thorough check on the functioning of orphanages in the city,” said Anisha, member of an NGO, Save the Children.
The NGO members presented a memorandum to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and its copy to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna, demanding a CBI inquiry.

They also demanded a change in the management of the orphanage and immediate removal of the accused staff.
“Children are being abused, tormented, killed and we are living in a state of denial that it was a one-off case. The government needs to make a stringent law to deal with the accused. The message should go that child abuse will not be tolerated,” said Revathi Nambiar, a concerned parent.

According to a report by HAQ: Centre for Child Rights, a majority of children — both boys and girls — interviewed by the NGO at the orphanage said they were subjected to sexual harassment, ill-treatment, eve-teasing or rape.

The orphanage has at least 1,100 destitute and needy children. The report also said a nine-year-old boy was allegedly sodomised not only by older boys but also by wardens there.
The boy was produced before the Child Welfare Committee and sent to NGO Salaam Baalak Trust.
“There are at least two more staff members accused of child sexual abuse who have not been arrested or suspended,” said Ashok Kumar, member of the organisation.

The police have so far arrested three orphanage employees, including a security guard, chief warden and warden of the boys’ hostel.

Activists added that the two wardens have only been booked for cruelty to children under section 23 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000. One of them faced allegations of sexual abuse.

Both are out on bail and no action has been taken against others who also face accusations of physical abuse of children, they said.

“The progress in this case is extremely slow and children continue to live in the same institution with the same people against whom they have given statements,” an activist said.”
Protesters demand CBI probe in Arya outrage
[Deccan Herald 3/12/12]