- A six-year-old student was sexually assaulted by the school toilet attendant in Paschim Medinipur
- The accused was arrested after a large protest by parents outside the school
- The survivor's mother accused the school of trying to suppress the crime to protect its reputation
A six-year-old Class 1 student was sexually assaulted by the toilet attendant of his school in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur. The accused was arrested after a massive protest outside the school.
The survivor's mother told the media that her son told her that the toilet attendant had subjected him to "oral molestation".
"My son is six years old and went to school on Friday. When we went to pick him up, he said he had something embarrassing to tell me. Upon reaching home, he revealed that the boys' restroom attendant had closed the door and molested him - he subjected him to oral molestation," news agency ANI quoted her as saying.
She said the accused let go of her son only because his friends knocked on the toilet door.
"He only let go when my son's friend knocked on the door; otherwise, my son was suffocating and could have even lost consciousness," she said.
She accused the school administration of attempting to suppress the crime to protect its reputation.
"When we complained, the principal simply defended the accused. He neither informed the police nor allowed us to do so, claiming it would bring disrepute to the school," she alleged, adding that the accused was arrested because all parents supported them.
"All the parents stood by me; we filed an FIR (First Information Report), and the accused was subsequently arrested. The school took no initiative. All the parents have gathered here to protest against the crime. We demand the removal of the principal. Instead of helping, the teachers are making inappropriate remarks; we also demand the suspension of these teachers," he added.
Police said the accused was arrested following the parents' complaint.
"We immediately registered a case regarding the molestation of a minor child. We reviewed and seized the CCTV footage and have forwarded it for further action. We are issuing several directives to the school: separate restrooms will be designated for Class 5 students; cameras will be installed outside the restrooms to monitor entry and exit; and an attendant will be stationed outside the bathrooms to assist any child facing difficulties. Staff will be hired only after a thorough background check. We will implement all necessary measures to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future," said the city's police chief, Papiya Sultana.
