The missing of a differently-abled woman, allegedly a victim and a witness in a sexual abuse case, is raising many eyebrows. The 21-year-old hearing and speech-impaired woman went missing from a private school for visually impaired persons at Gunadala in Vijayawada on March 22.
The woman, an orphan, has been living in an integrated school for differently-abled and baby care centre at Ibrahimpatnam for the last few years. The institution was sealed by the authorities in June, 2022 after sexual abuse and harassment allegations were levelled by several inmates against some of the organisers.
“We have shifted all the inmates including mentally challenged, speech and hearing impaired and orphans to different rehabilitation centres. The Disabled Welfare and Women Development and Child Welfare (WD&CW) officials have been instructed to look after the victims,” said NTR district Collector S. Dilli Rao.
According to the organisers of the rehabilitation centre, three women had reportedly met the differently-abled woman a few days before she went missing.
“We are trying to find out how a speech and hearing-impaired woman walked out of the institution premises without the help of others,” said an officer who is investigating the case.
‘CCTVs not working’
The women met the victim thrice in the last few months. They refused to sign the visitors’ register and give their details. The home organisers did not alert the authorities concerned over the unidentified visitors to the rehabilitation centre. The CCTVs installed at the main gate of the centre are not working condition, which raises many doubts, a police officer said.
“We tried to collect the family details of the victim from the home for the differently abled at Ibrahimpatnam, which has been sealed. But, police could not gather the family history of the woman. She is reportedly an orphan,” says NTR district Police Commissioner Kanthi Rana Tata.
Security concerns
Meanwhile, Child Rights Advocacy Foundation (CRAF) State programme director and child rights activist P. Francis Thambi expressed fear over the security of the inmates rescued from the physically handicapped centre as they were the victims and witnesses in a sexual abuse case.
“The government must provide security to all the 32 differently-abled persons rescued from the home. The court should intervene,” says Mr. Francis.
“There is no regular monitoring of the welfare of the victims in sexual abuse cases, who are living in private homes. The officials concerned should take measures to trace the differently-abled woman, who went missing from the rehabilitation centre about 45 days ago,” says a representative of an NGO.
