2-year-old boy ‘sexually assaulted’ at playschool

Kolkata, Jul 6: A two-year-old boy was allegedly sexually assaulted at a playschool in south Kolkata’s Behala area earlier this week.

The alleged incident came to light on Thursday, a day after the child’s parents lodged a complaint at Thakurpukur police station.

The FIR registered under Sections 4 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 mentions that the child went to the playschool on Monday (July 2), where he was subjected to “aggravated penetrative sexual assault by unknown persons”.

The father of the child said in the complaint that his son was in extreme pain after returning home. “When my son came out of the playschool he was crying. He was not able to stand or sit,” he said. The boy was taken to a private practitioner, who suggested that the parents visit the school and check the CCTV footage.

The father alleged that the principal of the school denied his request to provide CCTV footage of that particular day. The school authorities told him they that do not have the CCTV footage of the premises from June 26 to July 3, he said.

The child’s parents then took him to a State-run health facility where his medical examination was conducted and lodged a complaint with the police.

The playschool authorities claim that they had organised a ‘Doctors’ Day’ event at the school on Monday and that a doctor had medically examined the children.

“This child, however, was not checked by the doctor. He was with the teachers and a nanny in another room and at 11.30 a.m. the parents came to pick him up. They returned 24 hours later and made these allegations,” its principal told media persons.

Describing the incident as “deeply disturbing”, Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi announced in a tweet on Thursday afternoon that she has directed the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights to immediately initiate action in the case.

In December last year, an allegation of sexual assault on a child at a kindergarten in south Kolkata had triggered massive protests by parents. The school was closed for weeks before arrests were made and the principal was removed from office.