Inquiry ordered by state government.
Despite being called ‘God’s Own Country,’ Kerala has a dubious record when it comes to its society, with high liquor consumption and rate of suicides. Though Kerala is the first Indian state to attain 100 percent literacy, many senior citizens lead a poor quality of life.
The state has been witnessing a rise in the number of brutalities against elderly people with more incidents of mistreatment being reported from different parts of the state.
On Wednesday, members of the Kerala Legislative Assembly were shocked to see a report about sexual abuse in old age homes in the state. The report presented by Kozhikode South MLA and former minister MK Muneer gained the attention of all the members leading to an investigation into the matter.
Based on the report prepared after a secret investigation, Muneer alleged that women occupants in many private old age homes in the state were sexually abused. Sedative drugs are administered to them before being sexually abused.
There were even cases of grandsons molesting grandmothers above the age of 85.
The report raised the eyebrows of the members and the report was handed over to state health minister KK Shailaja on her special request.
Shailaja said that the government has ordered a detailed inquiry to know whether the 577 private old-age homes in the state are running as per law.
Expressing shock at the issue, state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said a detailed high-level inquiry will be ordered into the issue followed by appropriate action.