It is the day after the rape of the seven year old in ahighly secured school at Headland Sada. By now, all of Goa including schoolheadmasters, headmistresses, teachers, support staff would have presumably readthe newspapers that had all but carried the shocking security lapses where anintruder raped a protected child. With a newspaper in hand that carried the shockingheadline of the shameful incident, The Goan entered some of the prominentschools in Vasco. With no intention to malign any of these schools, theintention was to check whether the school’s guaranteed adequate security. Thefindings were disturbing and outrageous.
9.10 am, Regina Mundi School, Chicalim: The Goan teamcomprising of reporter Navin Jha and photographer Shanawaz Mayyadi firstentered this co-education school. The team landed at the main gate entrancethat was manned by a single private security guard, unarmed and minus theuniform showing no sign of vigilance or toughness. Jha without introducinghimself nor revealing why he was there in the school asked the guard how manyentry points did the school have. The guard unhesitatingly informed that theschool had three more entry points located at three corners of its property byactually pointing out in which direction.
The guard opened the gates for the team without questioningmotives or enquiring they it had permissions. The team walked through thecorridors, chatted with children, took directions from school staff and evenexplored the toilets for over 30 minutes, unchecked.
The trip ended with the team walking out of one of the threeunmanned entry/exits on its southern side. The iconic schools walls are low andcan be scaled with ease from anywhere.
10:05 am, St. Theresa’s School, Mangor: The Goan triedentering this all girl school through the main entrance manned by a securityguard. The guard refused access and asked Jha if he knew anyone in the school.To check if security checks were working Jha said he knew a cousin related tothe photographer in class five.
Team Goan was told to come back during recess. Minuteslater, the reporter entered the school from the lone unmanned back gate,unchecked. However, it must be reported that entry into the school building isdifficult as the corridors have iron grills and their accesses are padlocked.Even alert school authorities stopped the team from exploring further.
10: 25 am, St. Andrew’s School, Vasco: The Goan entered themuch crowded co-ed school unhindered opening its gates. No security guards checkedour team and even a few others who were taking the thoroughfare through theschool to Alpaqueiros Hill behind the school.
The reporter entered the grilled corridors with ease. A loneteacher saw the team aimlessly loitering in the corridors and asked who theywanted to meet. The team said “The Headmistress”. She gives directions andwithout even bothering to confirm if the team actually met the Headmistresswalks away.
The team spends another half an hour walking into different sectionsand even enters toilets with children. No one stops them.
In a day after the rape in Vasco, Team Investigationsvisited eleven schools including private and government schools and found thatbasic security drills such as maintenance of visitors register, stringentverification of identity by security guards or school staff, porous entry/exit pointsexisted rampantly.
Vasco schools’ security concerns for children are facile andknee jerk only.
Vasco school rape: The unanswered questions
Headland Sada: The gaps in security and investigations are growingby the day. The aftermath is even more baffling as two sketches of the accusedhave surfaced in forty eight hours after the crime.
Permitted Intruder? The school in question has an iron collapsiblegate that opens only during recess / lunch break, assembly and dispersal ofschool. Even though the rape happened at 10:30 am during recess period, aschool teacher had found the accused loitering on the first floor of the schoolan hour earlier. How did he get in? Was the accused known to some staff at theschool?
The alert teacher along with the Headmistress did ask theaccused to leave the school premises. Why then did they not ensure that he leftthe school? How did the CISF not notice the intruder?
Administrative Deafness: The crime scene lies barely 15 metresfrom the office of School Headmistress and the Staff Room. Don’t teachers checkthe toilet of small children from primary sections after recess to see if nolittle one is in distress?
Disastrous Drill: The school administration called thevictim’s parents but did not disclose to them the enormity of the tragedy.
Was the school being over sensitive in not breaking the newson phone which led to the parents assuming normal medical or academic issuesand the delay in calling the police? Even after the parents did not rush to theschool, the school management still decided to wait but no efforts were made topersonally rush to the residence of victim.
Evidence Compromised: The school’s defence of washing theminor’s bloodstained clothes as the victim was inconsolable and panicky mayseem sensitively sensible but the fact remains that clinching evidence may havebeen lost. Why was parental or police permission not sought for doing so?
Delayed Examination: Police was informed at around 1.30 pmyet the minor was taken for the medical examination at 6.45 pm. Wasn’t the GoaPolice insensitive to a minor’s mental needs and delayed her coming back tonormalcy by delaying her examination? Wasn’t the search for the accused delayeddue to this lapse?
