Rape victim's father says she won't be safe at home

Rape victim's father says she won't be safe at home
TNN
PANAJI: The father of the minor girl, who was raped by a police constable and two of his friends for about three months, visited his daughter at
Apna Ghar on Sunday but refused to take her back home.

He said, "After I told Apna Ghar authorities that I was worried about my daughter's safety and life, they insisted that I take her back home. But I when I asked them to put it in writing, they refused."

The father said that Apna Ghar authorities insisted that he take his daughter home saying that she was fighting with everyone and beating up girls at Apna Ghar.

"When they said that I should take her home, I told them that I would have no option but to go to the police for help," the girl's father disclosed.

The dismayed father reiterated that his daughter was not safe with him at home as the accused were out on bail and had even threatened him.

The minor was allegedly raped by a 23-year-old police constable Shamba alias Dipak Jhalmi, attached to the Indian Reserve Battalion, and his accomplices. They were arrested for allegedly sexually exploiting the girl for over three months.

This incident has shocked and surprised several child activists. "When a parent can't protect a child and the child is in a vulnerable state, then it is the responsibility of the state to protect and provide a safe environment for the child. That's the reason Apna Ghar has been set up. When the father is expressing his inability to provide a safe environment for his daughter at home then it is the responsibility of the Child Welfare Committee members to ensure the safety of the girl," said Arun Pandey of Anyay Rahit Zindagi, an NGO.

Matthew Kurian of El Shaddai Charitable Trust said, "The Child Welfare committee should act positively and professionally, and work towards providing a child-friendly and healthy atmosphere at Apna Ghar. CWC has no right to force the child on the helpless parent."

Surprisingly, director of Children's Rights Goa, an NGO, Nishtha Desai, who is handling the girl's case, is strangely maintaining silence.

She first claimed that she was not aware of the matter. Later she said, "I don't want to comment. We work on several issues without speaking to the media."

16 March,2009, The Times of India, Goa edition