A 17-year-old girl from Kerala’s Malappuram district has accused 38 men of sexually assaulting her over last several months, Hindustan Times reported on Tuesday. The Kerala Police have arrested 33 accused while five men accused are still on the run. The girl made the revelations about the series of sexual abuse during a counselling session at a rescue centre.

The police said that the girl was first raped in 2016, when she was 13 years old. A case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act was registered and the girl was moved to a shelter home in the district.

She was allowed to go home in 2017. Soon, she lodged another complaint, accusing a neighbour of sexually assaulting her, the police said, adding that she was then shifted to a rescue centre, managed by the district Child Welfare Committee.

The police said that the girl was allowed to go home with her mother and brother in early 2020. According to investigating office Mohammad Haneefa, the girl then went missing and was traced to Palakkad district in December.

The child welfare centre authorities said that they follow up on girls who have faced such an ordeal but could not do so in case of this minor because of Covid-19 restrictions.

Social activist P Geeta criticised the Child Welfare Committee for being ignorant in such cases, according to India Today. “CWC has the responsibility of looking after POCSO cases but many a times they do not take these cases seriously,” Geeta said. “In this case, the CWC has sent the child back to her home without ensuring the safety of the girl. They repeatedly did that which made way for such incidents happen repeatedly.”

However, Shajesh Bhasker, the Malappuram Child Welfare Committee president, said they took all legal and logical steps to ensure the girl’s safety following her release from the shelter home, reported PTI. “The decision was taken by our five-member committee and in consultation with the child protection officer,” Bhasker said. “This was done in tune with the Juvenile Justice Act, which says institutionalising a POCSO survivor should be the last priority.”

Bhasker said that the girls are supposed to be sent back to their parents to ensure their protection as well as allow their restoration to the society. He said that although the CWC acts with good faith and intentions, there are some flaws in the after-care and follow up of POCSO survivors.

A senior official of the social child welfare ministry said that they have initiated an inquiry against the rescue centre to ascertain if there was any lapse on its part.