Juvenile home girls allege harassment by staff

Some girls in the juvenile home in Visakhapatnam came out by jumping the boundary wall and staged a protest on the road on 22 January alleging harassment by the staff inside. The girls alleged that they were being forced to take sleeping pills and were not being allowed to visit their parents.

The girls raised slogans urging the City Police Commissioner to intervene and do justice to them. Reacting to the incident, juvenile home superintendent Sunitha said the agitating five girls were being given treatment for mental health. Speaking to the media, she said the Home staff approached the Arilova police when the girls start protesting.

“At present 60 children are staying in the home and we are facing a problem with the five girls who came from Srikakulam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna and Hyderabad. We take decisions in accordance with the guidelines of the district boys and girls welfare committee,” Sunitha said.

Meanwhile, State Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha talked to District Collector M N Harendhira Prasad and City Police Commissioner Shanka Brata Bagchi over phone and enquired them about the incident. The Minister directed the Collector to set up a committee with a woman police official, Tehsildar and other officials to talk to the girls. She directed the Visakhapatnam Collector to submit her a comprehensive report on the harassment of the girls in the juvenile home. “If the charges of the girls were proved correct, stern action will be initiated against those responsible,” the Home Minister warned.

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This article is written by Senior Journalist Lakkoju Nagesh Babu