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Help eludes 11-year-old Ludhiana rape victim after she delivers baby
Senior medical officer said Ludhiana police and the child welfare committee were informed about the case
A 11-year-old rape victim, who had given birth to a child on Tuesday, has yet to receive any legal and psychological support from the government, her family said.
As per her relatives, after the delivery, the victim and her newborn were discharged from the hospital within 24 hours.
They said neither anyone from the district child protection office approached the family nor any counselling was given to the victim at the hospital.
The senior medical officer (SMO), Dr Amarjeet Kaur, said the victim was referred to them from the government hospital in Koom Kalan on Monday.
“She gave birth to a male child through normal delivery. Both the mother and the child are healthy and have been discharged from the hospital,” the doctor said.
She added that police and the child welfare committee were informed about the case.
The victim’s mother said her daughter and the newborn are currently staying at the house of their relatives in Ludhiana.
“The Koom Kalan police had called us on Thursday and made us wait at the police station. We are poor daily wagers and earn our livelihood by doing odd jobs. We feel that we are being punished. If we are made to sit at the police station, then how will we earn money to run the household,” she rued.
According to investigating officer Baldev Singh, the accused in the case was booked on March 14 under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, along with Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, and raids were being conducted to nab him.
He said that the victim’s family was asked to visit the office to record their statement.
District child protection officer Reshmi Shani, meanwhile, said the investigation in the case was on and she cannot share further details in the matter.
She refused to answer why no support person was sent to the victim and maintained that the probe was on in the case.
According to senior criminal lawyer Dalip Batish, as per the protocols, a support person from district child protection office has to reach the victim within 24 hours to handle the case and guide the family about the further course of action.
Besides, it is mandatory to provide psychological counselling to the victim to mitigate the trauma, he added.
He said that whenever a crime is committed, it creates three victims on three counts — the society, the primary victim and the dependent of the victim.
“Rape, and that too with a minor, is considered among the most heinous. Such cases need to be handled sensitively,” Batish said.
He added that the National Legal Services Authority (NLSA) has set up a committee to provide compensation to such victims.
“I have learnt that the victim was raped by the accused in lieu of fetching potable drinking water for her family. If fate was cruel to her, the system was not sensitive either. At such a tender age when she needs guidance and care, the victim is left to take care of the newborn,” Batish said.
