Children's home girls threaten suicide

KOCHI: Five days after the escape of four inmates from the

Government Children's Home

(Girls) at Kakkanad here, 20 children, raising various demands, climbed on to the terrace of the correctional institution and threatened to commit suicide on Thursday.

The inmates, all aged below 18, remained on the terrace of the two-storeyed building for around four hours and created a scare for the authorities. They came down only after the authorities, including the district collector, assured them that their demands would be considered favourable.

The high drama unfolded around 9.30am. The girls threatened to jump from the building alleging that they were physically and mentally tortured by the wardens. They also demanded that they be allowed to return to their homes.

Alerted by the authorities, police and fire and rescue services units rushed to the spot. MLA P T Thomas, child welfare committee (CWC) members and local councilor

M M Nazar

later went to the terrace and held discussions with the girls.

Seeing the arrival of police and fire force vehicles, nearby residents crowded outside the premises of the institution to witness the series of events.

When the talks initiated by the MLA did not yield any results, district collector K Mohammed Y Safirulla and additional district magistrate rushed to the spot and spoke to the girls. The children then put forward their demands before the team lead by the collector.

"Five of the girls insisted on returning home. The authorities agreed that they would be allowed to stay home till October 16, provided they are taken care of by their parents or immediate relatives. However, parents of all but one girl said that they were not in a position to take them home. With this, the authorities took the stand that they would not be sent home. Later the girls informed the authorities that they do not want to go home," said a CWC member who participated in the meeting.

Authorities said that the police tracing and bringing back three of the four girls who escaped on Saturday, triggered Thursday's protest. The home currently house 33 girls.

"The girls have complained that they were beaten by wardens with

PVC pipes

. The CWC will hold a meeting at the home on Monday to gear the children's grievances," said an official from social justice department.