On 3 September 2024, Dr. S. Samson Daniel (31), a government doctor, was arrested under the POCSO Act on allegations of sexually assaulting minor girls at a hostel affiliated with a government-aided school in Trichy. His mother, S. Grace Sagayarani (54), who is the headmistress of the school, was also taken into custody for allegedly helping to cover up the offenses.
Daniel, from Palakkarai in Trichy, was employed as a doctor at the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Anbil near Lalgudi. He frequently visited the school hostel under the pretense of conducting health checkups. During these visits, he is accused of inappropriately touching girls aged between five and ten. A concerned parent reported this abuse to the childline helpline, 1098.
Following the report, District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) Rahul Gandhi, District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO) Vijayalakshmi, and two social workers visited the hostel on 2 August 2024. They interviewed 42 children, who revealed that Daniel had been assaulting them during his health checkups over the past few months. Based on their findings, the Fort All Women Police arrested the doctor under the POCSO Act, and the investigation is ongoing.
On 4 September 2024, while being taken to the hospital for a medical examination before his court appearance, the doctor verbally abused the media and attempted to attack them. The police intervened and successfully restrained Daniel before proceeding to the hospital.
#BREAKING || செய்தியாளரை அடிக்க பாய்ந்த போக்சோ கைதி..#Trichy #Court #Police #Prisoner #NewsTamil #Newstamil24x7 pic.twitter.com/WuH6VUoUKi
— News Tamil 24×7 (@NewsTamilTV24x7) September 3, 2024
The charges against Dr. Samson Daniel and his mother, S. Grace Sagayarani, are reminiscent of the RG Kar incident. In both instances, individuals entrusted with the care and safety of vulnerable girls/women were accused of blatant crimes. The RG Kar case, involving the rape and murder of a female resident doctor, highlighted the pervasive issue of sexual violence within healthcare institutions.
Similarly, the allegations against Dr. Daniel expose the potential for abuse to occur even within seemingly safe spaces like schools. Sadly, there is no outrage from the civil society to seek justice for the Trichy hostel’s students who that doctor abused.
(With inputs from TNIE)
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