Thirteen individuals have been arrested in Edgurallapalli, Sri Sathya Sai district, Andhra Pradesh, for the alleged gangrape of a 15-year-old Dalit girl over a period of two years, which allegedly resulted in her becoming eight months pregnant.
The abuse, reportedly enabled by alleged blackmail using inappropriate images and videos, allegedly went unnoticed for years. Shockingly, some villagers allegedly pressured the girl to marry one of the accused in an attempt to allegedly close the case.
Police are allegedly investigating possible lapses by school, health, and child protection officials. The victim is currently receiving treatment at a government hospital in Ananthapur, and authorities are arranging her relocation after delivery.
Justice and Accountability in Focus
The gravity of this case is underscored by the arrest of 13 individuals, including several with prior criminal records, and the ongoing hunt for the main accused, who remains at large. District Superintendent of Police V Ratna confirmed that special teams under the Dharmavaram subdivision identified, traced, and arrested the accused.
The victim, now eight months pregnant, is under medical care, and doctors have allegedly ruled out abortion due to the advanced stage of her pregnancy. Police have allegedly sought permission for a DNA test to aid legal proceedings and ensure justice.
Community Silence and Systemic Lapses
Despite the victim’s visibly advanced pregnancy, caste stigma and fear allegedly led to prolonged community silence. Police sources noted that despite the victim’s visible pregnancy for eight months, no local allegedly reported the abuse to officials, with caste stigma and fear allegedly preventing the community from speaking out against the repeated abuse.
The girl, who allegedly lost her father and lives with her labourer mother, was allegedly particularly vulnerable to exploitation and pressure to settle the case through marriage. Authorities are now allegedly probing possible negligence by school, health, and child protection officials, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of child protection mechanisms in rural areas.
The case has highlighted how social biases and institutional apathy can allegedly allow such crimes to persist unchecked.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This horrific incident allegedly exposes deep-seated social biases and systemic failures that allegedly allow such crimes to persist unchecked.
The Logical Indian stands with survivors of abuse, advocating for justice, empathy, and urgent reforms. We call for robust community engagement and institutional accountability to protect vulnerable children.
