PGO asked to review decision to drop Galolhu School sexual abuse case

The parents of the preschooler suspected of getting sexually abused by a caretaker at the Galolhu School last year has asked the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) to review its decision not to pursue charges in the case. 

The victim, a four-year-old girl, was sexually abused in the toilet of the school in October last year. 

The victim identified her assailant as a female caretaker at the school. However, the specific caretaker who committed the crime remained unclear. 

The police arrested a 63-year-old woman, a caretaker at the school, in connection to the case. However, she was later released from police custody, at the PGO’s recommendation. 

The victim’s parents, in a statement Wednesday, accused the school of lying in a statement it released regarding the case last week. 

The school had said that it had taken quick action in response to the incident, and had prioritized the safety of students above all. 

However, the victim’s parents said the school failed to respond with adequate speed after the case was reported. 

They said that the school took action only after the general public and the press began raising concerns over the delay in the investigation into the case. 

“The failure to find sufficient evidence to press criminal charges against a specific individual in the case does not mean she wasn’t abused at the school,” said the parents. 

They also said that failure to find sufficient evidence to prosecute any of the school’s staff in the case did not mean they were free from guilt. 

The parents expressed concern they weren’t explained the reason for the failure to find sufficient evidence. 

They said they were unhappy with the decision to drop the case, and had requested the PGO to review the decision. 

The parents said they did not receive any cooperation from the school, and refused to share information even after they went to meet the management. 

Galolhu School had installed CCTV cameras inside the premises and suspended all female caretakers in the wake of the incident. 

The school said in its statement last week that the allegations regarding the sexual abuse of a student by one of the school’s employees had been false, and that the Education Ministry had informed the school the investigation did not uncover any concerns regarding the employees, and that the case had therefore been filed.