A 68 years old British citizen named John Patrick Bridge who was running an orphanage in the state of Odisha’s western district of Jharsuguda have been arrested for sexually abusing a minor boy in his shelter home.
Bridge ran a child shelter home called Faith Outreach in the Cox Colony area of the town along with his wife Delphine, where he provided education to the tribal students. Following a complaint by a minor tribal boy who has alleged that he had gone with Bridge to his native place in Rayagada district for Christmas last year, and Bridge had fondled his thigh and private parts while returning in an SUV.
“After a complaint was filed at Jharsuguda police station under section 341 of the IPC (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 10 POCSO Act (aggravated sexual assault ) and section 3(i) (r), 2 (va) of SC/ST (POA) Act, the accused was arrested. Further investigations are on,” said Rahul PR, Jharsuguda SP.
An inquiry has been undertaken by Indian Embassy in New Zealand after FIR was filed about the misuse of funds given to Faith Outreach by a New Zealand-based funding agency.
The sexual abuse of underage children came during the probe of funds misuse following which police officials asked the victims to lodge complaints.
The Faith Outreach was started by Bridge, with his wife Delphine, 25 years ago in Jharsuguda to provide education to the tribal students. In India, tribal areas seldom see any development and they are prime victims of coercive evangelisation that leads to total destruction of local culture and customs.
The shelter is under shut down due to the COVID pandemic and officials of Faith Outreach are yet to comment over the arrest of Bridge.
This is second such incident of emanating from Odisha in the last two years were children have been subjected to sexual abuse by shelters run by Christian missionaries. In December 2018, Faiz Rehman was arrested for sexually molesting minor girls. He ran the Good News India Dream Centre, a child shelter home in Dhenkanal district where he was also a pastor.