Mother mum on minor daughter’s rape

SHILLONG: Police are in a dilemma over lack of cooperation from the mother of a minor rape victim who recently delivered a baby.
Sources said the 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped in East Khasi Hills last year in a rented house where she stays. The incident took place when her mother was hospitalised.
The girl was recently taken to a government hospital in the city and on realising that she was a minor and pregnant, hospital authorities informed the police.
Sources added that sensing trouble, the mother took the girl to another hospital. She delivered the baby on the day she was admitted.
After the police was informed, the girl admitted that she was raped but said the person was masked.
According to sources, the mother was not willing to file FIR.
However, the CSWO approached the women’s police personnel to inquire the matter and the NGO was told that she was raped. Subsequently, the CSWO filed a complaint with the police.
With this development, the mother is not allowing the police to have access to her daughter, which is delaying investigation and arrest of the accused.
According to the POCSO Act, anyone who knows about any sexual assault case of a minor should inform the authorities immediately, which, however was not followed by the mother of the victim, sources added.
Minor rapes minor
A minor girl (10) was raped recently in a village in Ri Bhoi by another minor (16) and there was attempt to hush up the matter.
Sources said the boy had warned her not to tell anyone. When relatives of the girl came to know about the incident, they informed the headman and they were called to the village Dorbar.
According to sources, since the minor boy is related to the headman, the relatives of the accused tried to offer money to hush up the case but the family of the victim refused it.
After the girl was in pain, she came to Shillong and was admitted to Ganesh Das Hospital. The police were informed that it was a rape case.
Later, under pressure, the accused was handed over to the police by the relatives.