Calcutta HC initiative to get 'sexually abused' child admitted to school

In a bid to secure the future of a girl, who was allegedly sexually abused by two teachers last year when she was 4, the Calcutta High Court Monday took the initiative to get her admitted to a different school.

Justice Nadira Patherya directed the school here, where the incident allegedly took place, to formulate guidelines for its teachers on dealing with its students to ensure their safety and a proper personality development.

The court ordered the school to submit the guidelines before the court on September 20.

The court observed that it may consider a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for all schools in West Bengal, setting guidelines for teachers and the educational institutions on dealing with children.

Justice Patherya asked the father of the girl to suggest the name of a school that he would want her daughter to get admitted to, before the court on Friday.

The direction came after Priyanka Tibrewal, lawyer for the girl's father, submitted before the court that several schools have refused admission to the girl on the ground that she has attained the age of 5 years and crossed the cut-off age for admission.

The father of the child had moved a petition before the court claiming police inaction in ensuring trial of the accused persons.

The state counsel told the court that investigation in the case has been completed, charge sheet have been filed against the accused persons and trial has also commenced.

The parents of the girl had withdrawn the girl from the school following her alleged sexual abuse by two games teachers in November, 2017, Tibrewal told the court, adding that the child has been going to a play school since then.

The incident had allegedly took place on November 30, 2017 in the school and the father had filed a police complaint stating that his daughter had been sexually abused by two physical education teachers inside the school premises.

The school at Ranikuthi in south Kolkata had closed for some days owing to protests by parents of students over the alleged incident.