RAWALPINDI: A 10-year-old child who was hospitalised after being sexually assaulted and beaten, allegedly by two fellow students, is struggling to recover at the Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH).

The child was hospitalised on Friday night after he brought his father to BBH because his father had suffered from a stroke and was paralysed.

The child’s uncle, Jehangir, told Dawn: “When his nephew brought his father to the hospital, the boy started screaming because of pain in his stomach. He was examined by doctors in the emergency ward and blood clots were spotted through an X-ray and other tests.”

He said he did not realise what had happened to the boy due to his critical condition, and doctors did not allow police to interview him because he was not able to talk.

Jehangir, who lives on Kuri Road, said he received a phone call from a relative on Friday night and was told his brother had had a stroke and was paralysed. He told him to bring his brother to BBH, and said he would be waiting there for him.

He said his brother was brought to the hospital accompanied by his son. The child’s condition began to deteriorate after they had reached the hospital, and a medical examination found evidence of sexual assault. Rawat Station House Officer Malik Rafaqat said the child had been assaulted by fellow students, and was slowly recovering in the hospital. He said the boy had recorded his statement with the police.

He said a case was registered following the child’s statement on Wednesday, and raids for the suspects were underway. Mr Rafaqat said one of the suspects was a ninth grade student from the child’s school.

He said the child was leaving school on Friday when he was intercepted by the suspects and assaulted. The case was registered with Rawat police on Wednesday on the complaint of the victim’s uncle.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2016