Delhi girl who saw father rape her 8-yr-old friend in trauma, gets counselling

The girls were friends for two years until Saturday afternoon when one of them was raped. Police have arrested the accused and sent him to judicial custody.

The two girls — one 8 years old, the other 13, had been friends for two years. They lived in the same building in central Delhi and gave each other company during playtime. All this ended on Saturday.

The two girls have been sent for counselling after the incident that took place last week left them in trauma. (HT FILE)

The younger girl was raped by the father of her friend who unknowingly witnessed the crime, leaving both the girls emotionally scarred.

On Sunday, both the minor girls were sent for counselling. Counsellors told police the two kids were deeply traumatized. “They are coping with the traumatic experience,” an official said adding that they had been told it could take a lot of time for them to overcome the trauma. The police said they have not yet taken a call on the possibility of the man’s daughter turning a witness against him.

Read: Delhi man rapes 8-year-old in park while his teenaged daughter ‘witnesses crime’

The man, a widower, who worked as a janitor at a public toilet in the area, had threatened the 8-year-old child not to reveal the incident but when the child went back home in pain, her cries alerted her mother. The police were informed and the man was arrested.

The accused, police said, is a father of two minors. He has now been arrested for rape and is behind bars.

A senior police officer said they are collecting evidence and will ensure that the accused does not get bail easily. They also added that they will ensure that both the minor girls receive maximum support from NGOs.