Seven-year-old among dozens raped at Bihar girls' shelter

Head of establishment, government functionaries among accused

Around three dozen girls residing at a Bihar shelter home have been raped, according to  Al-Jazeera.

A seven-year-old was among 34 girls raped at Seva Sankalp Samiti, a short-stay shelter. A total of 44 girls resided at the establishment.

At least 10 people, including the head of the shelter have been nabbed in connection with the case that has stoked nationwide anger. Brajesh Thakur, the head of the shelter, has denied any wrongdoing. His name features in most allegations.

The shelter top boss is said to have presided over the happenings. He is said to have stripped girls naked and injecting them with sedatives. Thakur has also been accused of attacking the girls with sticks and belts.

The girls' testimonies were recorded on July 27 at a special court for cases related to India’s Protection of Children from Sexual offences (POCSO).T he girls’ accounts painted a distressing tale of rampant sexual assault at the shelter.



The youngest -- aged seven -- was regularly attacked with a whip. Another was stripped naked and beaten with a stick after being taken to the terrace. Scores were attacked for resisting rape.



The shelter was closed last month in the wake of the aforementioned arrests. The girls have been moved to safety, police chief Kaur said.  Police, however, are yet to locate their families.



The accused include a child protection officer and a member of the government's social welfare department. It has also been alleged that Bihar minister Manju Verma's husband used to frequent the establishment. Verma has denied the accusations, terming them politically-motivated.

India's Central Bureau of Investigation is now set to probe the matter.

This story originally appeared in Al-Jazeera.