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The Tamil Nadu government has decided to post only women guards in state-run shelter homes across the state. The decision follows the incident of a male security guard allegedly attempting to sexually assault a 13-year-old girl at a government-run shelter in Chitlapakkam near Tambaram. Mathew, the 50-year-old guard, has been arrested.
Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Minister P Geetha Jeevan said that all male security personnel posted at government-run shelters housing women and children would be moved out, and they would be replaced by women guards.
On early Sunday morning, Mathew is alleged to have forcibly tried to carry the girl outside. The girl called out for help and tried to escape. She was reportedly attacked by the guard when she screamed for help, resulting in an injury to her leg.
After hearing her cries, other girls residing in the home rushed to her aid. She was initially taken to Chromepet Government Hospital, where doctors confirmed her leg was fractured. She was later shifted to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for surgery on her leg.
Meanwhile, Chitlapakkam police registered a case and launched a probe. Their suspicion fell on Mathew when CCTV footage showed that no one else had entered the building. The girl later identified Mathew as her assailant.
According to the police, the guard, Mathew, who was posted on night duty at the shelter, allegedly tried to sexually assault and injure her. He was arrested on June 8, and a case has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The Minister said that the girl had been admitted to the shelter five days before the incident.
"At the time of the assault, the warden was on leave, and the cook was overseeing the children. The incident occurred early Sunday morning when the girl was on her way to the study hall," the Minister said.
The District Collector has been directed to immediately assign three women security personnel to the Chitlapakkam home. Officials have also spoken to the other children at the home, and no further complaints have been raised, she added.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, in a social media post, demanded a probe to ascertain whether more children were assaulted by the accused. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader K Annamalai said the incident had triggered fear among parents and demanded adequate security measures in these homes.