TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Directorate of Women and Child Development has ordered inquiry against six Apna Ghar officials including one counselor, four caretakers and a matron into the unsolved sodomy case against a juvenile inmate.
Counselor Allen Mascarenhas, caretakers Shekhar Volvoikar, Shanta Fal Desai, Umesh Gurav and Santosh Gawde, and Matron Pradnya R P Desai are prima facie held responsible in an internal inquiry report for not providing safety to the child who underwent constant abuses by other inmates and also sodomised.
The incident surfaced on September 26, 2012 when the juvenile on being produced before the North Goa Chief Welfare Committee (CWC) for extension of stay, told the bench he was ‘sexually abused by older inmates at Apna Ghar’.
The CWC then issued a letter to Superintendent-cum-Probation Officer to immediately refer the child for medical. It had to approach the Secretary Women and Child for the same, as the order was not complied with at that very moment.
It was only after secretary’s intervention the child was sent for medical test, a day later at Goa Medical College that confirmed sodomy stating “Evidence of anal penetration which is of two to three days duration prior to this examination.”
The CWC soon recommended action and an internal inquiry was instituted which nailed the staff of Apna Ghar. Allen, who was appointed in the year 2010, has denied charges against him.
The fresh inquiry, ordered on June 6, 2013 will conduct hearings against the six officials. In the charge framed against the counselor, Director Women and Child Development Sunil Masurkar said, “…failed to perform his duties with due care and diligence in as much as that he failed to interact with the children. Due to such lapses, the case of sodomy too place on one of the inmate…”
The department’s statement of imputation of misconduct on him further says, “Allen has not been interacting with the inmates/children in need of care and protection admitted by CWC. Due to his lack of commitment and seriousness in performing his duty, Allen failed to identify the reported abuse in the Apna Ghar.”
Similar memorandums have been issued to the other five. However, it is yet to see whether the department holds responsible the SPO for alleged negligence under whose tenure the second sodomy case took place. Masurkar was not available for comments despite repeated calls by Herald.
