Thiruvananthapuram, August 26: Four men were arrested on the charges of sexually abusing four minor girls after trespassing a convent in southern Kerala, police said on Friday.

Two of the accused were held when a night patrol team of the police noticed their presence in an area near the nunnery situated in a rural area a day ago. Also Read | Karnataka Shocker: 2 Street Dogs Poisoned, 8 Go Missing in Bengaluru; Police Start Probe After Activist's Complaint.

Their alleged trespassing of the compound of a religious institution and the motive behind it were revealed during their interrogation.

Based on the inputs provided by the accused, a woman police officer visited the institution and took statements of the minor girls and it was disclosed that they had been subjected to sexual abuse for quite some time. Two others were arrested on the basis of the statements of the victims, they said.

The arrested persons have been charged under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act and IPC Section 460 (All persons jointly concerned in lurking house-trespass or house-breaking by night).

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)