A 13-year-old girl from Delhi, India, has revealed the horrific details of how she was raped four times in one night by three men and a boy, who lured her to different locations on the pretext of friendship. The girl, who is a waste picker, was also gang-raped by four other people seven months ago, but did not report the incident at the time. The police have arrested seven suspects, including three minors, and are looking for two more.
How the girl was trapped by a woman
The girl, who lives with her parents in Bawana, a slum area in Delhi, was acquainted with a woman who used to live in the same locality and also worked as a waste picker. On January 1, when the girl was alone in the area, the woman approached her and lured her to an isolated location in Sadar Bazar, where three men and a boy were waiting for her. They took turns to rape her for four hours and then let her go.
How the girl was raped again on her way home
As the girl was returning home, she was intercepted by two other men who knew her. They took her to one of their homes and gang-raped her again. The girl managed to reach home in the early hours of January 2, and told her mother about the sexual assaults. Her mother reported the matter to the police, who registered a case of gang rape, criminal intimidation, wrongful restraint and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
How the girl revealed another gang rape from seven months ago
While the girl’s statement was being recorded in front of a magistrate, she also revealed that she was sexually assaulted by two of her classmates and two other men in a forested area in the neighbourhood seven months ago. They had lured her on the pretext of sharing notes with her. She did not report the incident at the time, fearing social stigma and threats from the accused. The police registered another case of gang rape and under the POCSO Act, and arrested all the four suspects.
How the police nabbed the suspects and provided counselling to the girl
The police identified all the nine suspects by their names, as the girl knew them personally. They arrested two adults and apprehended three minors in connection with the first case, and arrested two adults and apprehended one minor in connection with the second case. The police are still searching for two more suspects who are absconding. The girl’s health condition is said to be stable and she is under counselling by a team of experts.
How the society reacted to the shocking incidents
The incidents have sparked outrage and condemnation from various sections of the society, who demanded strict action against the perpetrators and justice for the victim. The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal visited the girl and assured her of all possible help. She also slammed the police for their delayed response and negligence in handling such cases. She said that the incidents showed the pathetic state of law and order and women’s safety in the capital. She also urged the government to provide better education and employment opportunities for the poor and marginalized sections of the society, who are often vulnerable to such crimes.
