Toddler raped by 14-yr-old neighbour in Gurugram, apprehended

A three-and-a-half-year-old girl is in critical condition at the Civil Hospital, where she was admitted on Monday evening after allegedly being raped by her neighbour in Sector 10.

The police said the accused, a 14-year-old boy was apprehended within two hours of the incident from the locality. He had fled from the spot after the incident. “The juvenile has confessed to the crime. We produced him before the Juvenile Justice Board, and he was sent to an observation home in Faridabad on Tuesday,” said Yashwant Singh, station house officer (SHO), Sector 10A police station.

The incident took place at around 5:30 pm on Monday, when the girl had stepped out of the house to play with the juvenile. An investigating officer said the girl’s mother heard her screams and rushed to the neighbour’s house, only to find the girl lying inside the house with her clothes dishevelled. The victim was bleeding and complaining of pain.

The mother rushed her to the Civil Hospital, where doctors informed the police about the incident. “We zeroed in on the juvenile after the mother complained to us. He was produced before the principal magistrate and was sent to an observation home in Faridabad on Tuesday,” said Singh.

“Based on the medical report and a statement from her family members, we have registered a case of rape under Section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act,” he added.

The juvenile is a Class-9 student of a private school and was alone at home when the incident took place. Both the families lived opposite to each other in Sector 10, said the police.

Shakuntala Dhull, chairperson Child Welfare Commission, said they met the family members in the hospital on Monday night. “The one-stop centre counsellor conducted a counselling session of the victim’s mother, as she too was under trauma. We will provide all the help required for the well-being of the girl,” said Dhull.