Preacher Arrested For Sexually Assaulting 17-Year-Old In Tamil Nadu

A preacher in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore was arrested under the POCSO Act

A preacher from Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu was arrested by Perur Police under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old teenager.

The victim was living with her younger sister at her grandmother’s house. Stephen Raj, the accused preacher, had taken a house for rent in the area and was preaching from the house on Fridays.

He also used to visit several locations in Tamil Nadu for sermons as well.

He was arrested after the 17-year-old girl informed her grandmother that when she was alone in the house with her sister, Stephen Raj entered and locked her sister in a room. He had sexually assaulted the minor girl, and when she started to cry for help, he fled from there.

Based on the complaint filed by the child’s grandmother, Perur Police nabbed Stephen Raj, and after an enquiry, booked him under various sections of the POCSO Act. Further investigations going on.

Nearly 31,000 complaints of crimes committed against women were received by the National Commission for Women (NCW) last year, the highest since 2014, with over half of them from UP.

There was a 30 per cent rise in complaints of crimes against women in 2021 as compared to 2020 when 23,722 complaints were received.