Police arrest five for rape of minor housemaid

Investigators awaiting medical examination report but say maid bore burns on her body

KARACHI: A teenage female housemaid was allegedly tortured and raped in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on Wednesday. The police have arrested five members of the family the victim worked for, including two women.

Sixteen-year-old J* worked at a residential apartment in Phase VI, DHA. She was first shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and later to the burns ward of Civil hospital for treatment.



"I was tortured and burned with a hot iron," the victim told investigators. "I cried for mercy but they did not show any sympathy and continued to torture me for a long time. They laughed while I was crying."

The victim's father told the media that his daughter was raped. "They have sexually assaulted my daughter," he claimed, adding that when he reached Jinnah hospital there was no female medico-legal officer and they suggested moving the victim to Civil hospital instead.



The police were made aware of the incident once the girl's family approached them. "The girl's father approached us to register a case," District South SSP Javed Akbar Riaz told The Express Tribune, adding that after they were notified, the police arrested the suspects.

The SSP said that the police have arrested five members of the family and registered a case against them on behalf of the victim's father. He said that the police were investigating the case to ascertain the motive behind the incident.



SSP Riaz said she was badly burnt with an iron, as there were several burn marks visible on her body. He said that the girl has been moved to the hospital for medico-legal purposes to verify her claims of being raped and tortured.

Police have registered FIR No 742/17 against the suspects on behalf of the victim's father and initiated further investigations. Darakhshan SHO Aurangzeb Khattab said that the incident occurred at a residential apartment in Phase VI, adding that the apartment is owned by a couple, Mariyam and Abdul Razzak.



He said that the apartment's occupants, along with two of their relatives including a girl, Fatima, and a watchman were also apprehended. "The woman claims to have run a beauty parlour at the apartment," he said. The officer said that the police were waiting for the medical examination report before continuing further.

*Name withheld to protect privacy