An incident of alleged child sexual abuse has come to light in Hyderabad where a man has been accused of sexually assaulting his teenage step-daughter. The survivor, a 14-year-old girl approached the Golconda police on Monday along with her mother, and accused her step-father of sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions.
"We received the complaint on Monday. She said that she was repeatedly sexually assaulted. She recently broke down and informed her mother, following which they approached us,” an officer from the Golconda police station told TNM.
"It is unclear as to how long the accused had been assaulting her for as the girl is still in trauma. She has been sent to the Bharosa Centre for counselling as well as medical assistance. We have taken her statement and the step-father is presently absconding. We are on the lookout and will take strict action," he added. Bharosa is an integrated support centre for women and children that was established by the city police in 2016.
A case has been registered under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, police said. They have also not revealed the name of the accused as it could compromise the minor's identity. Further details are awaited.
This is the second such horrifying case to emerge from the city this month. Just last week, a six-year-old girl was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and murdered by a man within the Alwal police’s jurisdiction in Secunderabad. The accused was identified as 20-year-old Rajesh.
The police suspect that Rajesh was in an inebriated condition and kidnapped the child on the eve of Holi, when she was playing outside. Her body was found in the bushes on the railway tracks between Alwal and Bolarum stations.