SHILLONG: A 16-year-old girl was repeatedly raped for a year by the husband of her maternal aunt who was an Elder of a Presbyterian Church. The accused, Lampher Kharpan (50), was excommunicated after the Church received a complaint from the mother of the victim.
Accompanied by CSWO (I), the victim’s mother Julydaris Nongbsap addressed a press conference here on Friday narrating the trauma her daughter had to go through since the age of nine. The mother alleged that Kharpan started molesting her daughter in 2010 and raped her at the age of 10. “In 2009, I sent my daughter to stay with my younger sister, Mombrisoh Nongbsap, and her husband Lampher Kharpan in their house at Kreit, Shilliang Um, (East Khasi Hills) as they were childless. But we were shocked beyond measure when she revealed that Kharpan committed the crime,” the mother alleged.
The child, out of fear, did not disclose the crime to her parents and suffered a mental breakdown. The mother said, “On several occasions she fainted in school and could not even speak. It was when she fell seriously ill in 2015 that after much prayer and discussion she finally broke down and revealed that it was her uncle.”
Outraged by her uncle’s actions and encouraged by her family, the minor filed an FIR on September 12, 2016.
Nongbsap also filed a complaint with the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the SP, East Khasi Hills.
The girl who was traumatized and was unable to speak after the cruel encounter penned down her frustration and anger in her diary, which was later found by her mother. “The girl is not willing to bow down to fear and will continue to fight for justice. We condemn the heinous crime,” Irene Hujon said, adding that the CSWO (I) will follow up on the issue.
Meanwhile, SP City Vivek Syiem said Kharpan had surrendered on Friday and will be produced in court.
