RAWALPINDI: A 14-year-old rape victim, who delivered a baby in a hospital, has been shifted to the Child Protection Bureau (CPB) and will be produced before the court of a magistrate to record her statement on Monday.

According to hospital sources, soon after the girl delivered her baby, a family came to the hospital to adopt the newborn with the consent of the girl’s father. A person had been mediating between the family and the girl’s father.

The sources, however, said before any agreement could have materialised between both the sides, the victim and her baby were taken into protective custody by the bureau with the court’s permission. The authorities believe that the victim and her child would not be safe at home.

On the other hand, samples from the rape victim and the suspects have been collected and sent to the laboratory for tests, police said, adding the DNA report would serve as a vital proof against the suspects who are already in jail.

Girl to record statement before magistrate today

Soon after the incident was reported to the police by the rape victim, City Police Officer Mohammad Ahsan Younas assigned the task to superintendent of police (SP) Rawal Division to arrest the culprits.

SP Rawal Division Rai Mazhar Iqbal had said all four suspects, including a 56-year-old man, were arrested on Sunday.

In her FIR registered with the police on Feb 16, the rape victim, a resident of Ratta Amral, said her mother had died and she was living with her father and two younger brothers.

She said in June 2019 she was alone at home as her father had gone to office when the suspect, who lived in her neighbourhood, came to her house and told her that if she needed any grocery from the market she could tell him.

The girl said a few days later, he visited her house again and raped her. He threatened her of dire consequences if she told anybody. Out of fear, she remained quiet.

She said the suspect came to her house again and this time, he brought his friend as well. Both raped her at gunpoint. She disclosed in the FIR that another man, whom she called uncle, started blackmailing her, and threatened to tell her father and the neighbours about the incident. He too raped her.

Her ordeal did not end her. Another boy from the neighbourhood assaulted her.

She said when she fell pregnant, she narrated her ordeal to her father and sought police help.

Following the victim’s complaint, the police arrested all the four suspects and sent them to jail.

Police said the victim’s father had married again after his first wife died, but his second wife had left him six months ago due to some domestic issue.

Police said once investigations begin, more details will come to light.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2020