In a horrific incident, an eight-year-old girl was raped repeatedly for two months by seven minors including six cousins and their friend. The accused are between the age groups of 6-13 years.
Reportedly, the heinous crime was fuelled by the minor boys’ porn watching sessions on smartphones in the guise of online classes. All the cousins were living in a joint family in the Ambikapur district in Chhattisgarh.
After raping the minor girl multiple times, they roped in one of their friends too. The investigating officers highlighted how dangerous it is to give smartphones in the hands of children without supervision.
The family was not aware that boys were watching porn. As per the preliminary probe, it was found that the accused accessed the sites on their own and were not prompted by any earlier search history on the phone.
After watching porn movies, the cousins started experimenting with the eight-year-old which turned into a group sexual abuse.
The parents of the victim came to know about this horror after the girl started having intense abdominal pain and they took her to a doctor.
An FIR has been lodged against all seven accused under relevant Sections of POCSO Act and Indian Penal Code. They will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board.
When inquired about how this crime went unnoticed in a joint family, the family members submitted that the houses are connected which makes it easy for kids to move from one room to another. They assumed that the kids are either attending online classes or are playing.
“It appears the cousins playfully persuaded the girl into the act and began raping her. They also involved one of their friends and the sexual abuse took place when the other members were busy in chores. It’s normal for children of a house to play together, so no one suspected anything,” the police said.
Police have found several porn videos on the smartphone. It was reported that the victim’s parents wanted to withdraw the case citing pressure from the family members. However, the police told the family that it is a very serious crime and investigation in such cases cannot and should not be stopped. The minor victim is also being counselled by experts.
