Tiruppur police have arrested and are investigating a Christian pastor who molested a 15-year-old schoolgirl and a number of working women who stay in a private hostel.
Father Andrews, 46, is the supervisor of a private hostel in Konampatti, near Oothukuli, in the Tiruppur district, where school students, college students and working women stay.
Many had left the hostel for the Christmas and New Year holidays. The matter came to light when a 15-year-old schoolgirl, who was staying in a hostel run by the pastor, refused to return to the hostel after Christmas vacation.
The school girl informed her parents that Father Andrews raped her on December 14, 2022, and that the Father also threatened her not to tell anyone about the incident.
According to reports, on December 14, the girl skipped evening prayers and stayed in her room, claiming health problems. Pastor Andrews, who was on rounds at the time, approached her and sexually assaulted her. Pastor Andrews was introduced to the victim’s parents at the church they attend. The pastor and his wife run a “hostel” for children and women. The victim and her brother were admitted to the hostel, and the siblings attended school from there.
Upon hearing about her child’s ordeal, her parents filed a complaint with the Oothukuli police station. Following that, the police launched an investigation and arrested Pastor Andrews under Protection Of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Orphanages, children’s homes, and hostels are all run by Christian organizations and are attended by children whose parents cannot afford to send their children to school or by working parents who are unable to care for them.
Child rights organisations that need to monitor such institutions are dominated by Christians, so many incidents of abuse go unreported, say activists.