Kerala: Orphanage sex abuse victims identify culprits

KALPETTA: The seven victims of the Muslim orphanage who were subjected to sexual abuse by six youngsters at a shop near the institution identified the culprits during the identification parade held at the sub jail, Vythiri on Friday. It is to be recalled that police had registered 11 cases against six youngsters on March 6 for allegedly sexually abusing and raping seven girl students of an orphanage of the district at a hotel nearby and also persecuting them mentally and physically since December 2016.

Those identified were Nazer Ahammed Koya, owner of the hotel, his friends Julaib Mustafa, Jumaid Abubacker, Ashar Hamza, Musthafa Abubacker and Muhammed Rafi. All the six persons were residing close to the orphanage. The parade was conducted in the presence of the second class judicial magistrate, Sulthan Bathery.

As soon as the victims identified the culprits, the police submitted a petition at the court seeking their custody. The accused would be taken to the hotel as part of gathering evidence. The forced sexual abuse continued for almost three months, according to the victims. The visuals of the abuse were filmed and was used to silence the victims, forcing them to submit to the abuse.   The incident came to light when a security employee of the orphanage found a girl on the premises of a shop near the orphanage at odd hours on a Saturday.