Mardan tragedy: Hospital staff believes child strangled to death was raped

Autopsy reveals horrific details of abuse and torture

PESHAWAR: A seven-year-old child who had been hanged to death last week, is believed to had been raped, sources at Mardan Medical Complex (MMC) revealed. Police also suspected ‘sexual abuse’ and have added section 377 in the case FIR.

Family of the victim said he was playing outside their house before he went missing adding that the body was recovered and shifted to MMC. Motive behind the murder was initially unknown.

“The child died due to asphyxia after being strangulated but the possibility of rape cannot not be ruled out,” MMC sources shared with The Express Tribune adding that during examination, those carrying out autopsy of the dead body found that the child’s ‘qameez’ was bloodstained and his face swollen blue.

They also stated that blood oozed from nose and mouth, lacerations on left side of face besides bruises were observed around the anal area adding fecal matter all over the anal area and other injuries were observed.

Police suspect that the child was raped and that was why Section 377 of the CrPC was added to the FIR.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2018.