Twelve-year-old delivers baby after being raped by stepfather
CHANDIGARH, April 11, 2019: A twelve-year-old rape victim delivered a baby boy in Chandigarh on Monday.
The girl was reported to have been raped by her stepfather on multiple occasions. The torture and physical exploitation came to light this January when the teachers from the victim's school noticed an unusual growth of her belly.
The school called the victim's mother, who took her to a hospital in Mohali, where medical examinations revealed that she was pregnant.
Counseling revealed that the 12-year-old was raped by her stepfather, who used to drink and then rape the child in her mother's absence. The ordeal had been going on for some time after the victim's mother lost her husband and married the accused.
On the basis of a complaint lodged by the victim's mother, police registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The accused was arrested immediately after the case was registered. He confessed that he raped the girl in a drunken state.
The Mohali district administration had handed over the girl to the protection home, who got her admitted to the hospital for medical care.
In order to save the girl's life, doctors had suggested her to have a premature delivery.
The girl was then admitted to the hospital a week before her due date, where she was kept under medical supervision till her delivery on Monday night.
The baby will likely be put up for adoption. However, the state government authorities are yet to take a decision for the victim's rehabilitation.
