15-yr-old rape survivor arrested for killing her baby, said she felt humiliated
The teenager in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh, who was raped in February this year, gave birth to the baby in October. She was discharged from hospital on November 5 and allegedly killed the infant five days later
BHOPAL: A 15-year-old rape survivor in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district was arrested on Thursday on charges of strangling her 40-days-old baby, a district police officer said on Thursday.
The girl was upset over the birth of the baby after the rape and was feeling humiliated, said Ashok Chaurasiya, sub-divisional officer of police, Tendukheda, Damoh.
“The girl was in a close relationship with a 17-year-old boy of the village. The boy raped her in February and left the girl pregnant. The girl’s family came to know about it in August when the girl complained of stomach pain. Doctors at the district hospital informed the family about the pregnancy. Later, the girl shared her ordeal with family,” said Chaurasiya.
The family filed a complaint and the accused was caught under Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO). He has been lodged in a juvenile home.
The girl gave birth to the baby on October 16 in a district hospital, where she was admitted due to medical complications. She returned home on November 5.
Five days later, she was back at the local community health centre at Tendukheda with the baby. She told health workers that the baby was ill. When the doctor checked the baby, there was no sign of life. The baby was declared brought dead, said the police officer.
The doctors recommended an autopsy to confirm if the baby died due to natural causes as claimed by the young mother.
The postmortem report concluded that the baby died of strangulation.
Police alleged that the rape survivor confessed during the preliminary questioning. A murder case was registered on the basis of the autopsy report. The girl was taken into custody and produced before the Juvenile Justice Court, which sent her to a correctional home, police said.
