Pathanamthitta, Jan 11 (IANS): Five people were arrested and 10 others taken into custody in connection with the repeated sexual assaults on a teenage girl in Kerala's Pathanamthitta district.

The teenager was allegedly sexually abused by around 62 people.

The case surfaced when the victim revealed her gory tale of how as a sportswoman she had been sexually exploited by friends, coaches and senior sportsmen since she was 13 years old.

The issue came to the fore during a counselling session conducted by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Pathanamthitta after the victim's teachers informed the panel about behavioural changes in the teenager.

Soon, the CWC handed over the case to the district police chief at Pathanamthitta.

In her preliminary statement, she revealed the names of 40 people whose mobile numbers she had saved on her father's mobile, the device which she was using.

The local police stations in the districts of Elavanthitta, Konni and Pathanamthitta registered five FIRs, and more will be filed in the coming days.

The FIRs have been registered under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The police have arrested five accused, all of them below the age of 30. Of the five accused, one is in jail for abusing a minor.

Sensing the gravity of the crime, the District Police Chief has constituted a special team comprising top officers of the district.

Details are awaited.

Over the years, Kerala has attracted huge media attention in similar cases, including the infamous Suryanelli, Vithura, and Kozhikode cases.