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School agrees to discuss pupils’ security after protest by parents
Parents had requested a meeting with the principal to discuss their concerns after a girl from the school was allegedly sexually assaulted by the security guard in the last week of March, but it was turned down
Mumbai: Over 100 parents gathered in front of a school in Santacruz west on Saturday to demand adequate security for their children enrolled in the school. They had requested a meeting with the principal to discuss their concerns after a girl from the school was allegedly sexually assaulted by the security guard in the last week of March, but it was turned down, they said. The accused security guard was arrested on March 30.
The parents feared their children were unsafe in the school and wanted the management to take additional measures for their safety. “We had demanded a special meeting with the principal about the incident, but the principal and management were not ready to talk, so we decided to stage a protest here today,” said a parent.
Another parent whose child is enrolled in class 4 said they had complained about frequent fights breaking out between students to the school management on several occasions in the past few years, but no measures were taken to enforce discipline.
“After the incident, we have been demanding an assurance from the school management regarding the safety of our children. The management finally agreed to meet us on Monday after our protest today,” said the parent.
In the last week of March, the school’s security guard had allegedly lured the child to a secluded spot and sexually assaulted her. The incident came to light when she narrated the ordeal to her mother after returning home from school, following which the parents first approached the school authorities and subsequently reported the incident to the Santacruz police. Based on their complaint, the police booked the security guard under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
“We are supporting police in the investigation. We have provided CCTV footage and required documents to them,” the principal had said.
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