Noida: Girl attacked in school, principal and teachers alert parents but let perpetrators escape

In a disturbing case from Noida, the middle school principal of a CBSE school along with her senior and a teacher were arrested on Thursday on charges of trying to cover up a sexual assault on a six-year-old student. The arrest came after the girl's father reported the incident, claiming that the school administration had misled him about the circumstances of the assault.

According to TOI, the father claimed that the assault took place on Tuesday when a labourer working on the school's construction project lured the girl to a remote part of the campus that was not under CCTV surveillance and attacked her. The labourer took advantage of the lack of surveillance of the area to commit the crime in about five minutes.

The school administration initially informed the girl's parents about the incident but misrepresented the situation by claiming that the accused had been handed over to the police and a complaint had been filed. When the parents inquired, they found that no arrest had been made and no official complaint had been filed. It was only after the parents filed a complaint that police action was initiated, which led to the arrest of the school principal, the girl's class teacher and the tutor.

The worker, who was hired by the school for a construction project on the new wing, was reportedly able to leave the premises without the school notifying authorities. The contractor was also arrested for his role in the cover-up.

The victim's father expressed outrage at the school's handling of the situation, accusing it of trying to protect its reputation rather than seek justice for his daughter. He described his daughter as traumatized and emotionally disturbed and raised concerns about the school's security measures.

Following the complaint, police registered a case under sections 74 (assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 263 (resisting or obstructing lawful apprehension of another person) of the Indian Penal Code and corresponding sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. All four arrested persons have been produced in court and are currently remanded in judicial custody. This incident highlights the urgent need for comprehensive sex education in schools. Prapti, a Delhi-based educationist, stressed the importance of educating children early on ‘good’ and ‘bad’ touching. “Sex education is crucial for the well-being and safety of children. It empowers them to identify inappropriate behaviour and seek help when needed. Such education should start at home and continue in the classroom,” Prapti told TOI.