The police in India have arrested and suspended one of their officers for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl who had gone to the police station to report being gangraped by four men.
The incident is reported to have occurred in the Asian country’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
A senior officer is reported to have said that a criminal case has been registered against the errand officer.
State authorities have ordered a high-level probe into the incident and have asked for a report within 24 hours. The National Human Rights Commission has also sought a report from senior police officials within four weeks.
According to NDTV news channel, the girl’s father alleged that four men had taken his daughter to the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh, where they sexually assaulted her for four days. The men then took her back to her village in the Lalitpur district of Uttar Pradesh (UP) before they fled.
READ ALSO: Ghanaian farmer jailed 10 years for trying to use 16-year-old son for money ritual
The next day, the officer in charge of the local police station raped the girl when she went to the police station with her aunt to lodge a complaint.
The Lalitpur district police chief, Nikhil Pathak, said that the girl was brought to his office by the Childline charity, where she narrated her ordeal.
When I was informed, I made sure a case was filed, he said.
The police accused officer reportedly fled after committing the crime, but was arrested on Wednesday and charged under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
News of the incident has sparked angry reactions, with many people wondering if there is any hope of safety for sexual violence victims.
Senior Congress party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra bemoaned the vulnerability of women at male-dominated police stations.
If police stations are not safe for women, then where will they go to complain?
Has the UP government seriously thought to increase the deployment of women in police stations, to make police station safe for women? She asked.
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS