Sex abuse victims await compensation

MADURAI: Members of the All-India Democratic Women’s Association have urged the district administration to give away compensation to girl students who were sexually abused by the headmaster of a school near Madurai without delay.
The members led by U Vasuki, state secretary of AIDWA, said the Madurai bench of the Madras high court had ordered on March 7 disbursal of compensation within eight weeks to the victims abused by M Arogiasamy, headmaster of the Government High School at Pothumbu last year.Vasuki said six weeks had passed since then and wanted the district administration to give away compensation without further delay. She also questioned the rationale behind delaying compensation.
Collector U Sagayam told TOI that the process for disbursal of compensation was on. “After we received the court direction on March 23, we went to the school to collect details of the number of victims. However, examinations had begun by then and we could not go ahead with gathering names. What happened to the children was painful and we did not want to disturb students by reminding them about the incident during exams. Now that the exams are over, the district administration will start collating the list of affected children and send a report to the state government seeking funds,” he said. “We will act as per the court order,” Sagayam said.
The news of the headmaster abusing schoolchildren sparked public outrage in Madurai in July last year. Women’s organisations staged protests and AIDWA also brought CPM politburo member Brinda Karat who personally conducted inquiries in Pothumbu. The headmaster was subsequently suspended and arrested. Based on a petition filed by a parent, the Bench ordered that compensation of Rs 1.20 lakh be given to each girl student victimised by the headmaster.
The court also directed the Madurai SP to entrust the investigation to a woman police officer who was not below the rank of deputy superintendent of police. The bench has ordered that the inquiry be completed within two months.