Survivor claims she was assaulted ‘time to time’

Student of Khairpur, allegedly raped by lecturer, tells court that teacher used to assault her from “time to...

SUKKUR: The student of Khairpur, who was allegedly raped by her lecturer, told a court on Friday that her teacher used to assault her from “time to time”.

In the court of second civil judge, Gambat, Muhammad Murad Memon, the survivor, S, said that the accused, M, used to threaten to kill her parents if she told anyone. At the time when the FIR was registered, however, she said the rape on October 8 was the first incident.

Talking to The Express Tribune, District Public Prosecutor (DPP) Khairpur Altaf Hussain Soomro said that S’s statement before the court was considerably different from the one she gave to the police and media.

“I was afraid of his threats and, therefore, never even told my parents,” S said in her defence.

S’s father, H, appeared before the court on Saturday to record his statement, which was similar to the one given by his daughter.

While the medical reports confirm that S was sexually assaulted, the court is still waiting for the chemical reports, said DPP Khairpur. The accused will be brought to court on Monday or Tuesday, he added.

The public prosecutor has been directed by the ministry of law to provide legal aid to S. A four-member team, including DPP Khairpur, district attorney Jawed Latif Memon and assistant district public prosecutors Nazir Ahmed Pathan and Rizwana Kareem Kobhar, will be investigating the case.

During her treatment at Civil Hospital, Sukkur, S told the media that M, who was her lecturer in Government Makhdoom Abdul Rehman Shaheed Girls Degree College in Khuhra, raped her when she had gone to get her certificate from the college.

H, who used to serve in the army’s medical corps as a naik clerk until 1990, has four sons and only one daughter. “Since S is my only daughter I wanted her to study as much as she wanted but that beast has ended her career,” he said earlier, adding that the family has started receiving threats from influential persons.

An FIR No. 236/2010, under sections 376/1 and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code, was registered against the accused. M was produced in the court of the second civil judge, Gambat, a few days ago and was sent to police custody on a three-day remand.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2010.