Gang-rape child survivor shifted to NICH ICU

Doctors say she has severe infection but is in stable condition

KARACHI:

The five-year-old child survivor of the Kashmore gang-rape incident was shifted to Karachi's National Institute of Child Health (NICH) on Saturday, with doctors saying that although her wounds are contaminated and severely infected, her condition is currently stable.

The survivor was kidnapped, tortured and gang-raped along with her mother. During the ordeal, she suffered severe injuries. Police managed to rescue the mother and daughter after a local police officer used his daughter as bait to arrest one of the prime accused in the case.

NICH executive director Jamal Raza said the girl was currently in an intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital but is not on the ventilator. He added that an initial surgery was performed in Larkana and due to respiratory distress, a chest tube was passed.

"She had initially been seen by the surgical team and will be taken to the operation theatre for further exploration. The subsequent plan will be decided accordingly," said Raza. He later said she had been examined and her wounds cleaned, though there was evidence of contamination and severe infection.

He added that there was no urgent surgical procedure required, while the medical team was attempting to control the infections.

The Kashmore police claimed on Thursday to have arrested the suspect accused of kidnapping and gang-raping the woman and her daughter.

A case was registered against the accused, Rafiq Malak, at the Kashmore police station under Sections 376, 344, 420 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code, pertaining to rape, unlawful confinement, cheating and dishonesty and common intention. Later, on the directives of Kashmore SSP Amjad Ali Shaikh, Section 365 of PPC, pertaining to kidnapping, and Section 6/7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act were inserted in the FIR.

T*, a resident of Karachi, told the Kashmore police that approximately two weeks ago, Malak lured her to Kashmore under the pretence of offering her a job for Rs30,000 per month, but instead kidnapped her and her daughter, later gang-raping and selling them.

Malak later released the woman, telling her he would only let her daughter go if she brought him another woman from Karachi. He was later arrested in a sting operation by the local police.

However, the suspect was gunned down by his accomplice during a raid while in police custody on Friday evening.

The police said they had raided a place near RD-109 to arrest another suspect, Khairullah Bugti, but he opened indiscriminate fire on the police, killing Malak. The law enforcers, who claimed that they took Malak with them to identify Bugti, arrested the latter and seized his weapon.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2020.