109 years in jail for Kerala man who sexually abused girl he had adopted

According to the prosecution, the victim, 12, along with her two siblings were with their grandmother after being abandoned by their parents, who are from Tamil Nadu. The four found shelter under the veranda of a shop at Kadapra near Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta.

A few years back, the child protection samithi intervened which led to the victim being adopted by Thomas and his wife. Her two other siblings were also adopted.

The grandmother, left alone and assured that the siblings are in safe hands, ended her life.

The prosecution said the girl was subjected to brutal sexual abuse from March 2021 to May 2022 at Thomas’s house. The girl was unable to share her trauma as she was not well-versed in Malayalam. Thomas had also threatened her to keep mum.

When Thomas’s wife sustained injuries following an accident, he approached the district child protection samithi saying he cannot look after the girl. The victim was handed over to the samithi. At this juncture, the family who had adopted the boy expressed their willingness to adopt the girl. The samithi allowed their plea, leading to the reunion of the siblings. The girl shared her traumatic experiences with the new family members, which led to police intervention.