Parents of minor rape survivor allege assault by Chennai police; officers refute

The girl's father, a construction worker claimed that police officers had physically assaulted him and treated him unfairly.

The parents of a 10-year-old rape survivor in Chennai have accused the police of assaulting and detaining them at the police station for several hours on August 31. The police, however, rejected these allegations.

A day earlier, on August 30, the child's mother had noticed a strong odour coming from her daughter after she returned from school. The minor was immediately taken to a nearby health facility, where doctors suspected sexual abuse and advised the family to visit a government hospital for further examination, reported India Today.

Parents of a 10-year-old rape survivor in Chennai have accused the police of assaulting and detaining them. ((PIC FOR REPRESENTATION))

The first information report mentions that the mother did not inform her husband and took the girl to the hospital for a further check-up, where doctors confirmed she had been sexually assaulted.

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In her complaint, the mother informed the police that her daughter had named Satish, a water delivery person as the accused. The child also told that Satish had abused her over a period of seven days and threatened her with severe consequences if she reported it.

Based on the complaint, a police team arrived at the hospital to take the mother’s statement. The police officials also questioned the minor and the medical staff.

What are the parents' allegations against the police?

However, the situation escalated dramatically with the release of a video reportedly recorded by an NGO worker. In the video, the girl's father, a construction worker claimed that police officers had physically assaulted him and treated him unfairly.

He also alleged that the officers questioned his wife’s behaviour and threatened to file a counter-complaint against him. “They questioned my wife’s behaviour and even threatened to file an FIR against me,” the report quoted the father as saying in the video.

The video also showed the minor’s mother alleging that she was assaulted and questioned about her character by the police.

In response to the allegations, the police issued a formal statement denying any misconduct. An official reported that an inquiry into the parents' allegations found no evidence of police brutality at the station.