*Committee being constituted to inspect other homes
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 5: Finding all the inmates frightened and fearful, the Jammu district administration has taken over the management of the Rotary Inner Wheel Home for Mentally Retarded Children at Channi Rama while as enquiry committee has pointed out that no record of people visiting the children in the home was ever maintained by the staff and all the grown up girls were sexually abused by the staff members as well as some outsiders.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that as all the inmates of the home for mentally retarded children were found in the grip of fear psychosis during the course of detailed inquiry, the Jammu district administration has taken over the management of the home till further orders. “The management of the Rotary Inner Wheel Home is now being looked after by the Additional Deputy Commissioner, representatives of Child Line and Regional Red Cross Society etc”, sources added.
Keeping in view the startling revelations vis-à-vis this home the district administration has decided to shortly constitute a committee having representation from various fields to carry out inspections in all other homes being operated in Jammu, sources said. “The inspection of other homes should not be co-related with the inhuman incidents in the Home for Mentally Retarded Children as the purpose behind such inspection(s) would be to ensure that inmates of other homes get due attention of the respective managements and all are taken care of properly”, sources added.
Meanwhile, some startling revelations have come to fore during the enquiry conducted by a team constituted by the District Development Commissioner, Jammu.
According to the enquiry report, the copy of which is in possession of EXCELSIOR, there was no record of the people visiting the children in the home on daily basis and the approach of the office staff was very casual in this regard.
“There is no systematic record of children that have been admitted every year since the inception of the home in the year 1979”, the report said, adding “there is also no proper discharge/relieving report of the children who have left the home”.
Stating that children specially the girls were appeared to be frightened and fearful, the report said, “on being specifically asked about the question of sexual abuse by anyone, some of the girls communicated through verbal and body language and affirmed that they were being subjected to sexual abuse by some members of the staff and also by persons outside the home”, adding “minor bruises and marks were also observed on the body of some of the inmates”.
“The board of doctors constituted to establish credibility of the specific and serious allegations regarding sexual abuse of the girls of the home has given opinion that five grown up girls are habitual to intercourse”, report said. Two of the sexually abused grown up girls were found having mild mentally retardation while as another is moderate mentally retarded. One more girl was found having sub-normal intelligence with IQ at 88 (border line intelligence) and another in psychosis.
The girl having border line intelligence confirmed to the enquiry team that she was being subjected to regular instances of sexual abuse not only by staff but also by persons outside the home, report said, adding “it was also found that some girls were taken out by Director S C Sharma (Co-opted Member) accompanied by some members of the staff. However, the purpose of the visit was ambiguous and shrouded with mystery.
Terming the attitude and approach of the staff very callous with no sense of responsibility and accountability for the children, the report said, “the children were being relieved from the home without proper documentation of the same”, adding “the attendance registrar for the year 2013 revealed that four children have left the home during the current year but there is no official record of whom they have been handed over to”.
“The account books reveal that there is sufficient funding provided to the home to the extent that they are in a position to spend Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 per month in meeting the daily requirements/needs of 32 children currently admitted in the home”, the report said. However, it was found that there was least concern for nutrition value or hygienic quotient and on being enquired it was told that there was no menu/standing instructions with regard to what will be fed to the children. Moreover, it was left to the choice of the cook to prepare meals for the children as per her desire.
About the physical environment in the home, the report said, “the overall hygiene and cleanliness of the home was far below satisfactory. The dormitories (three for girls and one for boys) were virtually a breeding ground for contracting infection and related diseases”.
Besides further investigation by the Police Department, the enquiry committee has recommended that District Social Welfare Officer should inspect the home on a weekly basis and submit report along with photographs and one nominee of the District Social Welfare Board should be housed permanently in order to keep check on the day to day affairs of the home.
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