31-year-old doctor arrested for sexually assaulting school children in Tamil Nadu

A 31-year-old doctor, S Samson Daniel was arrested on Thursday for sexually assaulting minor girls at a hostel affiliated with a government-aided school in Tamil Nadu's Trichy.

He was booked under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.

His mother, 54-year-old S Grace Sagayarani, who is the headmistress of the school was arrested for allegedly helping to cover up the offences. They were sent to 3-day Judicial Custody, according to an ANI.

The Indian Express reported that the incident came to light after a distress call was made to the child helpline number. Following the call the District Child Protection Officer, along with other officials, conducted interviews with the students after which it was revealed that Daniel had been assaulting students for several months during his consultations.

“Samson, who began his government service in 2021 after completing his medical degree from Puducherry in 2017, had been stationed in Thoothukudi before his transfer to Tiruchirappalli. Samson’s mother is the principal of a government-aided primary school. It was at this school, where students from class 1 to 5 reside in the hostel, that Samson allegedly abused his position to visit and harass the students under the guise of providing medical care,” The Indian Express quoted a senior officer familiar with the matter as saying.