Assault horror in Kerala: 5-year-old’s private parts burned over bedwetting

The child’s Anganwadi teacher observed that the little girl struggled to even sit, which made the incident come to light.

A horrifying case has made the headlines from Kerala, where a woman burnt her 5-year-old stepdaughter’s private parts with a hot spatula for bedwetting. The incident reportedly occurred in the Kanjikode area and came to light only when the girl’s Anganwadi teacher observed her struggling to sit.

Shocking case of child abuse in Kerala.

On Friday, police in northern Kerala reported a shocking case of child abuse, where a stepmother allegedly burnt her 5-year-old stepdaughter’s genital area with a heated steel spatula as punishment for wetting the bed. The brutal incident took place last week in the Kanjikode area and only surfaced when the victim’s Anganwadi teacher observed her struggling to sit comfortably during class sessions, news agency PTI reported.

The police arrest the stepmother in the case.

Concerned by the child’s visible discomfort and distress, the teacher promptly alerted authorities, said the report. This led to swift police action, which resulted in the apprehension of the suspect, a woman originally from Bihar, on Thursday. Following her arrest, a local court remanded her to judicial custody for the next 14 days to allow for further investigation. The young victim, whose father hails from Nepal and is employed at a nearby hotel in Kerala, has been placed under the protective supervision of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). This government body is now ensuring her medical care, safety, and emotional support as the case progresses. Officials continue to probe the matter, the report said.

A case has been registered against the woman under key sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), India’s primary criminal code, as well as provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act, which specifically protect minors from such atrocities.