Three year old rape returns to haunt minor

Three year old rape returns to haunt minor
Preetu Nair, TNN

PANAJI: Just when a 11-year-old girl was beginning to overcome the damaging effects of a rape four years earlier, she has been stunned with the
knowledge that she has tested positive for HIV. The girl had been allegedly raped by her neighbour in June 2005.

The family suspects that her rapist, out on bail, may have infected their little girl. "I am told that there is a myth that HIV/AIDS sufferers can be cured if they have sex with a virgin. My daughter seems to a victim of one such false belief," the victim's father said.

The girl's recent discharge card from a paediatric consultant at Goa medical college and hospital states, "Due to sexual abuse the case was made MLC (medico-legal case) and a police statement taken." The girl had been admitted to the hospital on June 8 as she was running a fever and feeling weak. Tests conducted on her revealed TB and HIV.

Incidentally, though the Vasco police had registered the case and arrested the accused, one Ramesh Lamani, they had later closed the case as A-final (due to lack of medical evidence) and on the prosecution director's opinion, hadn't filed a chargesheet in the case. Subsequently, the accused was released on bail and investigations were closed in August 2006.

However, the matter is still pending before the JMFC, Vasco. "The court has so far not accepted the police decision. It now has the powers to reject the police decision and ask us to investigate," said a police official. Meanwhile, Vasco police have again recorded the minor's statement in the hospital.

The victim alleged that the accused had unprotected sex with her at his home in June 2006. She can't recollect the date on which she was raped, but remembers that it was drizzling. She was nine years old when her "friendly" neighbour raped her violently.

"He held my hands, restrained me and had forcible intercourse with me. The attack was so violent, that I screamed in pain and for help. But he pressed a knife to my throat and threatened to kill me and my family. I was scared," said the girl, who weighs less than 25 kg.

The incident sent the girl into a shell for more than a month and she revealed about the attack almost a month and a half later, following which the family lodged a police complaint on July 18, 2005 and the accused arrested.

"My parents were out of station when the incident happened. My little sister went into a shell and only when coaxed revealed that she was raped by our neighbour. She maintained a silence as he had threatened to kill my parents," said the victim's elder sister, explaining the delay in lodging the police complaint.

The minor's family now want that the police arrest the accused and test him for HIV. They have also contacted child activists for help.

The girl's father said that after the incident, his daughter was continuously ill and due to weakness had to drop out of school. "In the last few months, her condition deteriorated and she was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition. She was detected with HIV and the doctors even tested us for HIV. But as our reports were negative, the doctors at GMC coaxed my daughter and she spoke the truth," said the father.

June 24,2009, The Times of India, Goa edition, Page 1