Karachi police arrest 17-year-old relative for alleged rape, murder after toddler dies in Qayyumabad

FIR filed by child's father alleges the suspect physically assaulted and sexually abused the toddler

The Karachi police apprehended a 17-year-old suspect over alleged sexual assault after a one-and-a-half-year-old girl died in Qayyumabad on Wednesday.

The first information report (FIR) was registered today at the Defence Police Station under Section 302 (murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on the complaint of the victim's father against the suspect — a relative of theirs.

The FIR said the complainant received a telephone call from his wife on Tuesday night informing him that their daughter had died at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).

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It said that the suspect, a relative of the family, frequently visited their home and would often take the child out to buy her treats. It added that he allegedly took the girl with him on the same pretext and brought her back in an unconscious state on Tuesday evening.

“Her clothes were soiled, and she was unresponsive,” the FIR noted.

The complainant said that the child's mother told him that when she was brought back, the family initially believed that she had fallen ill and tried to comfort her at home by giving her medicine, but her condition deteriorated and she began vomiting. She was first taken to a nearby private hospital, where doctors advised the family to take her to JPMC.

It said the girl died on her way to the hospital, adding that the suspect physically assaulted and sexually abused the child, causing her death.

Appealing to the authorities for justice, the child's father demanded strict legal action against the suspect as well as anyone found guilty of facilitating the crime.

Talking to The Express Tribune, residents of Qayyumabad appealed to the Sindh chief minister and the inspector general of police to ensure that the arrested suspect was brought to justice, demanding that he receive the maximum punishment prescribed under the law.

Police said the toddler died under suspicious circumstances at a house in the Qayyumabad area.

The cops reached the residence of the victim in the early hours of Wednesday after being alerted via Madadgar 15.

Police said the body of the minor was transported to JPMC through a Chhipa ambulance and later moved to the morgue for post-mortem examination.

A duty officer at the Defence Police Station, who was present at Jinnah hospital, said the incident had occurred around sunset on Tuesday.

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He further said that the family of the victim took the child’s body back home and called the emergency police helpline for assistance, and when the police arrived, they found the family in mourning with the child’s corpse lying on the bed.

The duty officer also said the child's mother told the cops that she had examined her daughter and believed the child had been sexually assaulted.

He added that the post-mortem report had been reserved and the medico-legal officer had verbally informed police that the child appeared to have been subjected to sexual assault, although this would only be confirmed after the final post-mortem report was officially issued.

The cop said the suspect was immediately arrested in connection with the case.