Six-yr-old raped by stepfather; DCW demands death for man

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 18

A six-year-old girl, waiting for an operation of her private parts at the All India Institute for Medical Sciences, was allegedly raped by her stepfather at his workplace in Saket.

Demanding "death" for the man, an anguished Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Jaihind urged the government to immediately come up with a policy to protect children who are abused in their houses and provide them with a safe environment.

“The man should be immediately hanged. She said that fear can be created in the minds of rapists by hanging such offenders,” said the DCW Chairperson while pointing out that girls are not secure in their own houses.

The incident happened on Tuesday and an FIR has been registered in the case under IPC sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 376 (rape) 506 (criminal intimidation) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012 at the police station, an official told The Tribune.

The man, who married the victim’s mother a year ago, had sexually assaulted the child, beat her and threatened to kill her if she told anything about the incident.

The matter came to light after a woman living in the neighborhood saw the little girl bleeding and informed the DCW by calling on its 181-Women Helpline.

A counsellor from the commission’s mobile helpline programme reached the girl’s house in Khanpur while the Helpline also informed the police about the incident.

“The girl was found in pain and bleeding by our counsellor. The police took the girl and her parents to the police station along with the woman who had informed the commission about the incident,” said a DCW official.

The official said while counselling the minor initially told the CIC counsellor that she was hurt while playing, but later she opened up and said that her father had sexually assaulted her and also beaten her up.

Earlier, the stepfather, a caretaker of any empty house in Saket, had confessed during interrogation and said he took her to his workplace where he sexually assaulted her.

The father said he was drunk when he raped the child whom he had taken to the house a couple of days back.

“The man had married the minor’s mother a year back. He had eloped with the woman from Uttrakhand and brought her to Delhi. The woman is seven months pregnant and the man has a five-year-old son from a previous marriage,” said the DCW official.

“The girl’s condition is very serious and she has been admitted to AIIMS where she will undergo a surgery. Her private parts are infected with pus. Given the girl’s condition, the judge appointed for this case recorded the minor’s statement at the hospital,” said the official.

DCW members Promila Gupta and Dr Fraheen Malick met the girl at AIIMS and counselled her.

Swati also urged the residents of Delhi to come forward and report such incidents of crime against minors, girls and women to the 181 – Women Helpline.