Kannur police arrested a serial rapist Arabic teacher who allegedly sexually assaulted 26 female students. The accused is Mecheri Faisal (52), an Upper Primary school teacher in Taliparamba taluk of the Kannur district and a native of Kondotty in the Malappuram district. He targeted 7th-class minor students. 

Initially, five female students were the first to disclose the harassment. In total, the police received about 26 complaints from students against the teacher.

Since the victims were between ten and eleven years old, they did not understand the gravity of harassment. They did discuss Faisal’s assault between themselves. This was when other teachers understood what was happening. The accused was staying at the same school, and this assisted Faisal in indulging in pedophilia.

The students revealed information about the harassment during the counseling conducted by another teacher at the school. Later, Child Line officials recorded the statement of the students and handed it over to the police. Taliparamba police, led by Circle inspector A V Dinesh then registered five Protection of Children from Sexual Offences  (POCSO) cases against the accused. 

Currently, the police have arrested the teacher and taken him into custody. Police registered another 21 POCSO cases against Faisal based on statements from girls students of the Kerala school during their regular counseling sessions. The police said more cases would be registered after hearing other students’ complaints. 

Reports state that the harassment started after the Covid period when the school resumed. Police said they would look into any instances in which the school administration failed to notify police promptly. As more and more incidents surfaced, parents of the students became concerned.

Incidentally, similar complaints were raised from a school in Valapattanam in the Kannur district where Faisal had worked earlier. It is unknown why he continued to teach or whether POCSO cases were registered against him. The Arabic teacher was transferred and ended up at the current school around four years ago. 

The local Magistrate recorded the victim’s statements, and Faisal was remanded.

Another madrasa teacher was arrested for sexually assaulting a student for a month. 63-year-old Muhammad, a native of Arookutty, was arrested. The alleged incident occurred in a madrasa at Chandiroor in the Alappuzha district. Aroor police registered a complaint and arrested the accused.

The accused tortured the student in the madrassa for about a month. It is suspected that he had similarly abused other children. Earlier, Muhammad was expelled from another madrassa for sexually assaulting minors. Back then, madrassa authorities hushed up the incident and did not file a police complaint.

The earlier incident came to light after locals demanded action against the authorities who tried to cover up the incident despite allegations of harassment. An investigation into the incident is in progress. The accused was charged under POCSO, produced in court, and remanded to judicial custody.

In both cases, the accused are teachers and have a history of pedophilia, but the state failed to punish them. School authorities allegedly helped them. This attitude is prompting such Islamists to indulge in similar crimes against children.

Several such crimes are being reported every week in Kerala. Until every molestation is promptly reported and adequate retribution is elicited, such crimes will continue.