An assault case has been registered against a therapy center in Hyderabad for allegedly assaulting a two-and-a-half-year-old autistic boy. The victim was at the center for a two-hour-long therapy session when he was allegedly pinched, leaving marks all over his torso.
The alleged incident took place on September 2 at Pinnacle Therapy. The victim was crying inconsolably during the car ride home. It was only after they got home and the mother of the victim tried to change his clothes, that she noticed all the marks across his body. When she rushed back to the center to confront the caregivers and demanded the CCTV footage from the session, the administration refused to divulge any information.
The parents of the victim had already filed an FIR on September 2, at the Karkhana police station. However, the incident came to light only on September 8, after the victim’s uncle tweeted a video showing his injuries and seeking intervention from authorities.
Along with the video, Murali Krishna tweeted, “We filed an FIR against Pinnacle therapists, sir please see below video my nephew is a victim of child abuse. Pinnacle Therapy was supposed to help my nephew with speech therapy, occupational therapy & behavioral therapy”. In the tweet, Murali Krishna also tagged K. T. Rama Rao, the Minister of Information technology, Anjani Kumar, CP Hyderabad Police, and the official Twitter handle of the Hyderabad City Police.
Sir, @KTRTRS @CPHydCity @hydcitypolice
Need Justice!!
We filed an FIR against Pinnacle therapists, sir please see below video my nephew is a victim of child abuse. Pinnacle Therapy was suppose to help my nephew with speech therapy, occupational therapy & behavioral therapy pic.twitter.com/vXzBQnlK9l
— Murali Krishna (@muraliui90) September 6, 2021
According to the victim’s family, upon learning that the little boy was on the autism spectrum, the doctors had advised them to take him to Pinnacle Therapy center for specialized autism care and speech therapy. The family had also paid Rs. 1,12,000 in two equal installments for a four-month-long course of therapy.
