A girl was sexually assaulted, and at least a dozen others were sexually abused at what was later discovered to be a fake National Cadet Corps (NCC) camp in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, according to police reports on Monday.
Eleven individuals, including the camp’s organizer, the school principal, two teachers, and a correspondent, have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Investigations revealed that the private school did not have an NCC unit, and a group had approached the school management, falsely claiming that hosting the camp would qualify them for one. The school failed to perform background checks on the group before allowing them to run the camp.
A total of 41 students, including 17 girls, participated in the three-day camp held earlier this month.
The girls were accommodated in the school auditorium on the first floor, while the boys stayed on the ground floor. No teachers were assigned to supervise the camp. The girls claimed they were lured out of the auditorium and sexually assaulted.
“The school authorities were aware of the sexual offences but chose to suppress the matter instead of reporting it to the police. The students were allegedly instructed not to take it seriously,” District Superintendent of Police, P. Thangadurai, was quoted as saying in news reports.
Police are also investigating whether the group responsible for the fake NCC camp has conducted similar camps at other schools.
The accused have been charged under the strict Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Medical examinations have been conducted on the girls, and the District Child Welfare Committee has initiated action. This case comes amid nationwide outrage over the horrific rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital.
