42-yr-old arrested for sexually abusing minor stepdaughter

Coimbatore: To escape from the clutches of her 42-year-old stepfather, who had been sexually abusing her for months, a 15-year-old girl along with her eight-year-old sister ran away from their home at Narasimmanaikenpalayam, reached the city and contacted Childline officials. Thanks to intervention of the officials, the sisters are now in a home functioning under the child welfare committee (CWC).
Police have arrested the abuser, identified as S Muthuraj, a resident of Karunanithi Nagar at Saibaba Kovil. “The victim had been living along with her mother, younger sister and Muthuraj at Narasimmanaikenpalayam after her father died a couple of years ago. The accused had started to sexually harass her within months,” a police officer said.

After the victim told her about the abuse, the mother left the house along with the girls on November 19. “But Muthuraj managed to gain the trust of the mother and made the family stay in his house. But he again began to target the girl. The victim, along with her sister, left the home on January 21 and took a bus to the Ukkadam stand. She had attended an awareness programme on sexual abuse at her school and contacted Childline at 1098 seeking help. Childline officials rushed to the spot and rescued the children,” the inspector told TOI.

The victim filed a complaint at the Thudiyalur All Women police station against her stepfather. Police registered a case under section 7 read with 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 and arrested Muthuraj. He was remanded in judicial custody and lodged in the Coimbatore Central Prison. TNN