Child Rape: Four-year-old raped by neighbour

Haroon was publically flogged, Aasia is reportedly in critical condition.

FAISALABAD:

A four-year-old girl was raped by her neighbour in Darbar Wali on Monday.

Sindhow Town resident Muhammad Rehman’s daughter Aasia, 4, was raped by neighbour Haroon, while she was alone at home at the time of the incident. The minor girl was kidnapped by the accused while she was playing in front of her house. The rapist allegedly took the girl to a room located in the upper portion of his house, adjacent to the victim’s parent’s residence.

According to Aasia’s mother Aneela, several neighbours heard the child’s screams and gathered outside Haroon’s house. “I was searching for her but several people told me they thought they heard her screaming,” she said. Locals in the area broke into Haroon’s house and apprehended the rapist. Sindhow Town residents then beat up the accused in the middle of the street before police arrived on the scene.  “The child was in a serious condition and we took her to a hospital. Doctors said that she was critical,” said one of the locals who rescued Aasia, Kadir. The mob was pelting Haroon with stones when police officials arrived at the scene and apprehended the accused.

A written complaint was filed by the girl’s father Muhammad Rehman and police officials have filed a case under Section 376 PPC vide FIR 390/11  on the charge of “sexual assault”  with a minor. Quoting the initial medical report, the concerned lady doctor confirmed that the victim was raped and had been severely beaten. Aasia is the youngest of Rehman’s six children.



*All names have been altered to protect the identity of the victim

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2011.