THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An ex-soldier who had been sexually assaulting the ten and twelve-year-old girls of a poor couple in Poovar for months has been arrested. The children, who were physically and mentally exhausted due to continuous torture, told the information during the counselling conducted at the school. The teachers informed the Poovar police. Shaji (56), a native of Poovar was arrested.

After he gave money and other things to his parents, he molested the girls. The accused lived alone at home after his wife died of cancer nine months ago. He has no children. Harassment was by enticement and intimidation.

The ten-year-old girl was brutally assaulted. She was also subjected to unnatural rape. He assaulted the girls in his home and the house of the girls when their parents were not there. According to the police, the accused even raped the two girls on the same day. The 12-year-old girl who opposed was brutally assaulted.

The counsellor from the Women and Child Development department visited the school last day and conducted counselling. The incident came to light after the officials grew suspicious of the elder sister's behaviour. The assault started last April.

The accused retired from the army 15 years ago. After that, he worked as a security guard in various institutions for a few days. The accused was produced in court and remanded.

The parents of the girls are wage labourers. The accused helped them by giving them money and other things and took advantage of the poverty of the family. The children often came to his house asking for household items. That is how he started threatening and assaulting the children.