A school run by the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) was the site of a horrific breach of security and subsequent sexual assault of two minor girl students. According to a report by news agency PTI, a man allegedly entered the classroom of the school, forcibly removed the clothes of two eight-year-old girls, undressed and urinated in front of the students.
What is more disturbing is that the school does not have security systems in place to check such attacks and prevent future instances of assault. PTI reported that there is no CCTV camera at the school's entrance gate or anywhere on the premises. The entrance itself is unguarded and the gate is not latched on the inside.
The school authorities, on the other hand, were unwilling to speak about the incident and rubbished the allegations levied on them. However, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has claimed that the principal and the class teacher in question told the students who complained about the incident to "forget about it and keep quiet." The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) has also written to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) inquiring about the incident and demanding action against officials who were responsible for the security lapses.
The mayor of East Delhi, Shyam Sunder Aggarwal, had admitted to the lapse in security on Wednesday, May 4, and had claimed that the gate was latched from inside and that no unauthorised person can enter the school premises. However, the school is unable to ensure a guard stays at the gate during the day due to financial constraints. However, a guard is deployed during the night, claimed the mayor. "We are getting the incident probed and strict action will be taken against those found guilty," he added.
