Torture and sexual abuse on rise in Odisha orphanages

Reports have emerged that the sexual and physical abuse of children are on the rise in orphanages mostly run by Non Government Organisations (NGOs) in the state of Odisha.

According to a study, at least 20% of the inmates are facing torture and other physical abuse in the orphanages.

In the past too, several reports alleging torture in the orphanages have emerged. According to UNICEF figures, India is home to about 31 million orphaned children and over 10,000 of them resides in Odisha.

The government has failed to take serious steps to curb this abuse, alleges social activist Sebati Singh.

On March 10, 2012, sixteen students of Manoj Manjari Shishu Bhawan, an orphanage in Keonjhar district, attempted suicide by sitting on railway tracks alleging physical torture and denial of food by the authorities. The local police then rescued the children.

However, the secretary of the orphanage Satyanarayan Mishra denied the allegation and said, “On March 10, the orphanage was celebrating its annual function. These boys were asked not to participate in the cultural programmes as their 10th board examination was fixed on 17th. But they didn't heed to the advice and revolted.”

But after two months of this incident, the same orphanage was again in the news and again for bad reasons. This time three women staff alleged sexual harassment by the secretary Satyanarayan Mohapatra. Sasmita Bharati, house mother of the orphanage, also lodged a complaint with the state women commission. The other two staff Amruta Barik and Parvati Jena, also made same kind of complaint.

This incident is just one example. Last year, a care-taker and the president of an orphanage were arrested for alleged physical and mental torture of the inmates. This orphanage housed to 45 children aged between 2 to12 years. All of them were rescued and sent to a government rehabilitation centre.

Earlier capital city Bhubaneswar also witnessed such a case. The police arrested Byomakesh Tripathy, proprietor of an orphanage on charges of sexual harassment.

His orphanage housed 24 girls. Police had also seized a camera and many obscene-film cds from the orphanage. In 2009, an orphanage in Cuttack also come under the public criticism when a teenaged inmate made rape charges against one of its employees, gatekeeper orphanage. He was later arrested by the police.