Girl ‘raped by principal’ may never go to school
Family ‘in shock’, fear no school can be safe.
LAHORE:
The family of a 13-year-old girl who was allegedly raped by her principal might permanently end her education because they fear no school is safe.
The principal of the school on Chandari Road is in police custody for the rape of the class five student on November 27. A medical examination of the girl confirmed that she had been sexually assaulted.
Talking to The Express Tribune at her home, the child said she wanted to become a doctor, but some in her family did not want her to study further. “I want a higher education but my uncle said no. He said I should sit in the house,” she said.
Adil, her father, said that his older brother had advised him not to send the girl to any school. “Sending her to school will be the family’s decision,” he said, but added that he personally wanted her to get an education.
He said that his family was in shock over what had happened to her. “How can a man who teaches the Holy Quran do such a thing?” he said.
Meanwhile, residents of Kot Lakhpat near the school called for it to be shut down and for the owners to be prosecuted for putting children in harm’s way. Many of the students at the school have not been turning up for the last few days.
“They should close the school permanently,” said one parent. “What guarantee is there that this will not happen again?”
Omer, who lives near the school, said many families in the neighbourhood had stopped sending girls to school, even other schools, after the rape. “They fear that their daughters are not safe,” he said.
The accused principal was arrested at Bhatta Chowk on November 30. The victim’s parents said that he had called her to the school on a Sunday on the pretext of preparing students for board exams. She said that he had threatened to kill her if she reported the rape to her parents or the police.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 2nd, 2011.
The family of a 13-year-old girl who was allegedly raped by her principal might permanently end her education because they fear no school is safe.
The principal of the school on Chandari Road is in police custody for the rape of the class five student on November 27. A medical examination of the girl confirmed that she had been sexually assaulted.
Talking to The Express Tribune at her home, the child said she wanted to become a doctor, but some in her family did not want her to study further. “I want a higher education but my uncle said no. He said I should sit in the house,” she said.
Adil, her father, said that his older brother had advised him not to send the girl to any school. “Sending her to school will be the family’s decision,” he said, but added that he personally wanted her to get an education.
He said that his family was in shock over what had happened to her. “How can a man who teaches the Holy Quran do such a thing?” he said.
Meanwhile, residents of Kot Lakhpat near the school called for it to be shut down and for the owners to be prosecuted for putting children in harm’s way. Many of the students at the school have not been turning up for the last few days.
“They should close the school permanently,” said one parent. “What guarantee is there that this will not happen again?”
Omer, who lives near the school, said many families in the neighbourhood had stopped sending girls to school, even other schools, after the rape. “They fear that their daughters are not safe,” he said.
The accused principal was arrested at Bhatta Chowk on November 30. The victim’s parents said that he had called her to the school on a Sunday on the pretext of preparing students for board exams. She said that he had threatened to kill her if she reported the rape to her parents or the police.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 2nd, 2011.