Thrissur (Kerala): In a shocking development, siblings rescued by the Social Justice Department from the district told authorities they were sexually abused for years, with allegations implicating their mother and kin.

The department had earlier placed four children, including two girls, in a shelter home after their grandmother became bedridden and could no longer care for them. During counselling, the 18-year-old girl revealed that she and her 20-year-old sister had been subjected to repeated assaults over the past five years.

Disturbingly, the victims alleged that their own mother and elder sister abetted the abuse.

The perpetrators named include the mother’s male friend and the elder sister’s third husband, both accused of severely exploiting the children. Based on their statement before a magistrate, police have arrested one man, identified as Nikhil, on charges of rape under the POCSO Act. However, the main accused remains at large.

The siblings’ plight began after their mother abandoned them and their father five years ago to live with her eldest daughter. Their grandmother, who worked as a domestic help, struggled to raise the four children. The two boys never attended school, while the youngest girl had to drop out in Class 8 due to poverty. The eldest daughter suffers from mental illness and could not give a statement, though her 18-year-old sister revealed the abuse.

When the grandmother suffered a stroke and became bedridden, local residents stepped in, taking her to the hospital and later arranging shelter. With her absence, the children were left vulnerable, and their house eventually collapsed in heavy rains. The residents then alerted the Social Justice Department, after which the children were shifted to a care home.

During counselling at the facility, the younger girl revealed the abuse. According to her, the accused exploited them when the grandmother was not home. She also said her elder sister had suffered the most abuse.

The officials said the mother and her companions threatened social workers and department staff who tried to remove the children from the house. Police have confirmed that the case is being investigated under the POCSO Act and declined to share further details.