Sexually abused minor’s four-year struggle comes to an end

It has been a long, arduous journey for a 17-year-old girl who went missing from her home in an Assam village four years ago. She is a victim of trafficking and

It has been a long, arduous journey for a 17-year-old girl who went missing from her home in an Assam village four years ago. She is a victim of trafficking and sexual abuse, is HIV positive and has been pregnant.

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The girl was rescued from the New Delhi Railway Station last month, was able to terminate her pregnancy last week and is now waiting to return home once the nationwide lockdown is lifted.

The nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic has been extended till May 3.

According to the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR), the minor was rescued from the railway station on March 5 by an NGO when her medical examination revealed that she was 12-weeks pregnant.

A Zero FIR was registered in Delhi and the case was transferred to Assam’s Gauripur police station.

“The girl, in her statement (under Section 164 of the CrPc), said that she was taken from her village by her 60-year-old neighbour. He took her to Punjab where he handed her off to another person. She said she was sexually abused for two years continually. She managed to escape and reach Delhi and has been living at the railway station,” Jyoti Rathi, member, DCPCR, said.

As per her medico-legal case report, the minor was again abused at the railway station by a stranger about three months ago, she added.

“It was a challenge to locate the girl’s family to get their consent to terminate her pregnancy, which is necessary in the case of minors. As per the law, a pregnancy can be terminated only up to 20 weeks. We wrote to the Assam state child protection commission to locate her family at the earliest,” the member said.

Meanwhile, the girl was medically assessed to check if she was fit to undergo the termination. A team of doctors submitted their report to the concerned child welfare committee (CWC) looking into the case and later to the commission.

On April 1, the commission facilitated a conversation between the minor and the district child protection officer (DCPO), Assam where she told them about her family and the village she is from.

“It took a few days to locate her family. A missing complaint had been filed by them. On April 4, I visited the girl’s house with staff,” Kishori Baruah, district social welfare officer and probationary officer/DCPO, Dhubri, Assam, told HT over the phone.

Baruah added that the girl is from a poor family. Her mentally ill father passed away some years ago. She lived in the village with her mother and four siblings off a small patch of land here. “We organised a video call for the girl and her mother. The mother gave her consent for the termination of pregnancy, which was sent to the commission,” she said.

Following the mother’s consent and on the orders of the CWC, on April 13, the minor was admitted to a government medical facility for the termination of pregnancy, which was done successfully. She was discharged last week.

“However, during the medical assessment, we found that the minor was HIV positive. After the termination, we arranged for her to stay at a shelter home run by an NGO until the lockdown is lifted and she can go home. All the girl wants is to go back home,” Rathi said.

Meanwhile, DCP (Railways) Harendra Singh, said, “The matter has been transferred to the Assam Police, who will be probing it further. We ensured that the child is medically examined and facilitated the movement with all other necessary help in logistics amid the lockdown.”