In another appalling case of child abuse, a 2-year-old homeless girl was kidnapped and then raped on November 17 in North Delhi’s Kotwali area. The incident occurred early in the morning when the girl, who was sleeping with her parents on the footpath was reportedly gagged and kidnapped by a 24-year-old man.
Homeless Girl Raped
Reportedly, the accused, after kidnapping her around 2:30 am, took her to a rail washing yard, where he raped her, after which he took off. The girl was found unconscious near the tracks.
Following a massive manhunt, the accused was finally arrested on Sunday, November 18. The man has been identified as one Anil alias Lalu, a resident of Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh. The accused is a history-sheeter who had been jailed earlier.
The Times Of India reported that the child’s father is a rickshaw puller while the mother is a ragpicker. The child was sleeping next to the mother. At around 2:30 am, the mother realised that her child was missing. The couple made efforts on their own to locate and find their daughter. After three hours of searching for their lost daughter, the parents approached the local police station, where a case of kidnapping was registered.
Around that time, a passerby spotted the minor lying near the tracks at the railway yard and informed the police at Old Delhi Railway station. The child, whose condition was then very critical was rushed to a hospital where the parents identified her. The child’s condition has since then been stable and she has been shifted to Lok Nayak Hospital, reported The Hindu.
The police viewed CCTV footages from the area where the child went missing and the accused was arrested after a few hours of the incident being reported. The case is currently under investigation.
Delhi Commission For Women chairperson Swati Maliwal met the child. She then tweeted:
1.5 year old homeless girl brutally raped in Delhi. Met her in hospital & can’t describe her condition. Her beggar mom is inconsolable. Her cries ring in my head. Thru my Anshan, law 4 death 2 rapist created but till date no rapist given death in Delhi! No fear amongst criminals.
— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) November 18, 2018
Crimes against children
According to recent data released by the Delhi Police, two children on an average are raped on a daily basis in the national capital. Financial Express reported that 739 cases of child rape have been reported until October 15 of 2018 while 921 cases were reported in 2017.
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in its 2016 report states, “Crime Against Children have shown increasing trend over the past 3 years with the significant increase of 13.6% (1,06,958) in 2016 over (94,172) 2015. Kidnapping and Abduction of Children accounted for 52.3% of the cases followed by Cases Reported under POCSO i.e. 34.4%.”
However, it should be kept in mind that these figures do not represent a fraction of the cases of crimes which are committed against homeless children in India. Prabhakar Goswami, director of I-India, a Jaipur-based NGO told The Times Of India that less than 10% of cases of atrocities against street children are recorded.
The Logical Indian Take
While the Delhi police have employed several techniques to handle and interact with victims of sexual abuse, much needs to be done to ensure protection to the vulnerable street children. Often, families who are living on the streets, do not have the means or the way to help themselves. Dejected by the society and stuck in the system, homeless children are subjected to unfathomable violence.
The Logical Indian urges the authorities to look into the matter and ensure steps to provide a safer childhood for the vulnerable kids.
