Thimphu police on April 6 arrested a 39-year-old vice principal of a private charity school in Jemina, Thimphu for allegedly molesting nine girl students aged between 11 – 15 years.

A parent filed a written complaint against him with the police. The complainant accused the vice principal of child molestation and sexual harassment of several students including his niece. All nine students has accused the vice principal of molestation.

The case came to light after a medical staff from Gidagom hospital informed the school principal about such incidences happening in the school.

According to police, one of the girls repeatedly visited the hospital despite not being ill. “After a health staff repeatedly asked the girl if something was bothering her, she shared that the vice principal molests girl students of class six and that she was one of them,” a police official said.

The principal then called the complainant and few other parents to the school and informed them about the vice principal molesting six students.

On interrogation, the students revealed that the vice principal, who is also a mathematics teacher, openly molested female students of class VI during class from the beginning of the academic session this year.

“Although the incident was witnessed by other students including the boys, no one reported it to their parents or the teachers,” the official said.

According to the girls and other students, the suspect caressed the girls by hugging them from behind, holding and massaging their thighs, rubbing his chin on them, kissed them at times and also fondled their breasts.

The police official said that the suspect from Trashigang denied the accusations and claimed that he only patted them.

Later, three more girl students from Class V alleged that the suspect molested them. Most students reported that the suspect molested them since 2017. The suspect was with the school for more than seven years.

Another girl student also alleged that the suspect tried to rape her in his office last year. According to her statement to police, she said that he called her in his office after school and tried to rape her. She said she managed to pull his hair and run away.

The police official said that he is suspected to have past criminal records and police are verifying the records.

Dechen Tshomo