Sexual abuse by teachers shatters lives of physically challenged children

A special court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has convicted a school principal and a teacher for sexually assaulting and harassing specially-abled minor girls, delivering a stinging indictment of educators who misuse their authority to exploit vulnerable children.

“School is a pious institution. Children trust their teachers and consider them guiding lights for life. When this trust is betrayed—when a God-like figure himself sexually tortures—the victims carry trauma for life,” special judge Satyanarayan R Navander observed in his December 12 order, made available on December 19.

The case emerged from the complaint of a 13-year-old girl with hearing and speech impairment, who told the court that the principal routinely summoned girls to his office and misbehaved with them after she joined the school. According to the complaint, in 2013 — when the school reopened after vacation — the principal sexually assaulted her and engaged in similar acts with other girls.

The victims, the court noted, remained silent for months out of fear of rustication and retaliation. The abuse came to light in May 2014 during a parent-student meeting with the organisation’s former president, when allegations against the accused surfaced. Despite the meeting, the misconduct allegedly continued, prompting the victims and their parents to finally approach the police. An FIR was subsequently registered.

The court also found that the second accused, a teacher at the school, had harassed minor students. In a sharply worded assessment, the judge underlined how positions of trust often shield abusers.

“Usually, the abusers are from the close network of the victims. They project themselves in society with high stature and dignity. Disclosure by children about sexual abuse by such abusers—teachers holding influence—is often not believed or taken seriously by parents,” the order said, adding that delayed complaints do not diminish the credibility of survivors.

Emphasising the additional barriers faced by physically challenged students, the court said approaching the police with “bare support” itself demonstrated the gravity of the torture they endured. “Certainly, no extraordinary leniency can be shown to the accused while awarding sentence,” the judge observed.

Taking into account the advanced age of the accused—both now retired and senior citizens—the court imposed the minimum sentence under Section 10 of the POCSO Act, sentencing them to five years of rigorous imprisonment for aggravated sexual assault.

The court also directed that the victims be compensated from the fines imposed—₹15,000 each for three victims—while acknowledging that the amount was inadequate. “When the court acknowledges the pain and suffering of the victims, it must ensure adequate compensation. Otherwise, justice would not be complete,” the judge said.

Accordingly, the matter has been referred to the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to award suitable compensation under the Victim Compensation Scheme, underscoring that accountability must extend beyond conviction to meaningful redress for survivors.