Pastor arrested for sexual assault on a 10-year-old

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Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh) – 46-year-old Pastor Alavala Sudhakar has been arrested by the Sarpavaram Police over allegations of sexual assault on a minor girl. As per reports, Alavala Sudhakar is a Pastor in a village in the Kakinada rural zone of East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh.

The Pastor allegedly assaulted the minor girl on 22^nd June. When the 10-year-old victim’s mother got to know of the incident, she filed a Police complaint. After which, the Pastor was arrested and a case was filed against him under various provisions under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Pastor Sudhakar has been remanded to judicial custody by the Court.

Sarpavaram circle inspector B Rajasekhar said, “Alavala Sudhakar, attended a function in the city on 22^nd June. While the function was in progress, Sudhakar reportedly sexually abused the victim in a nearby thatched house”. When the 10-year-old girl started screaming for help, Pastor Sudhakar stuffed a fifty Rupee note in her hand and asked her not to tell anyone about the incident.

Only after the villagers and her family members exerted pressure on the minor did she divulge her ordeal, after which the victim’s mother approached the Police with a complaint against the Pastor.

Crimes of sexual abuse of minors perpetrated by Christian priests has been a long-standing issue, which the Church authorities have often tried to brush under the carpet.