Nine-year-old raped in Ambala’s Naraingarh

Fearing stigma, migrant parents try to pass it off as an accidental injury caused by iron rod

A nine-year-old girl was reportedly raped in Ambala’s Naraingarh area, police said on Friday.

The girl belongs to a family of migrant labourers from Bihar who work in a factory. She was alone at home when the incident took place on Thursday afternoon. The accused has not been identified yet.

The girl was first taken to the Naraingarh civil hospital, where the family tried to pass it off as an accidental injury.

Even as the girl was referred to the civil hospital in Ambala City at night, the parents kept insisting that she was injured by an iron rod, said Dr Vandana Sharma, chairperson, district child welfare committee.

It was only after the child was counselled by the hospital staff and child welfare committee representatives that she revealed that “an unknown man, who had covered his face, had raped her”. The man had even threatened her of dire consequences if she confided in anyone, said Dr Sharma.

“The family knew that she had been sexually assaulted, and had even changed her clothes before taking her to hospital. However, afraid of stigma, they tried to conceal it,” she said, adding that after seeing the child’s injuries, the hospital staff took the family into confidence.

A case under Section 4 (penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at the Ambala women police station. Superintendent of police Rajesh Kalia said the DSP is heading investigations into the case.